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Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

In 2007, I made a thread wherein WrestleHut2000 chose their top ten favorite wrestlers of all time. In 2019, I thought it might be fun to do a similar thread again, and that lead to Rowdy Ringsports choosing their Top Ten Currently Active Wrestlers. Both threads were a lot of fun, but last year's ended very deliberately jussssssst before AEW Dynamite debuted as a regular weekly wrestling show.

I had intended to do the thread again in September to mark a year since the last, but complications caused by COVID-19, the shutdown of so much wrestling, the lack of crowds, the moving of the G1 Tournament etc made me figure it would be better to wait it out, and then do a Top Ten Active Wrestlers of 2020 thread instead.

So here we are, our chance to once again write up a top ten list of our current favorites, assign points for places and then find out who we as a forum truly loved the most this year. It will be very interesting (I hope) to see how things change from last year, not just because of the addition of AEW but to see how many people have moved up but also how many have moved down: which surefire can't miss stars ended up going nowhere (Darby Allin, for instance, was mentioned in last year's thread as surely being a top guy by the following year, and... welp).

So here is how it is going to work - think about all the wrestlers currently working in major promotions, the indies, in Japan and Britain and Australia and anywhere else in the world. Write up who you are your current favorites, rank them from one to ten and then post them here in the thread. Feel free to go into as much or as little detail as you want as to why you've chosen who you've chosen, or to argue the case for any one (or more) particular wrestler you want to.

I'll accept lists posted up till midnight EST on the 22nd of January. Points will be assigned to each of the selected wrestlers and we'll see how each wrestler ranks - who the forum's overall favorite is and how other wrestlers rank beside them. Points will work based on individual rankings, with 10 points for a 1st place rank and 1 point for a 10th place rank. So for example:

Poster A posted:

1. Hangman Adam Page
2. Kazuchika Okada
3. Adam Cole
4. Chris Jericho
5. Jeff Cobb
6. Asuka
7. Cody Rhodes
8. Yuka Sakazaki
9. Toru Yano
10. Go Shiozaki

Poster B posted:

1. Asuka
2. Chris Jericho
3. Hangman Adam Page
4. Go Shiozaki
5. Kauchika Okada
6. Yuka Sakazaki
7. Adam Cole
8. Jeff Cobb
9. Toru Yano
10. Cody Rhodes

Would result in:

Hangman Adam Page = 18
Chris Jericho = 16
Asuka = 15
Kazuchika Okada = 15
Adam Cole = 12
Jeff Cobb = 9
Go Shiozaki = 8
Yuka Sakazaki = 8
Cody Rhodes = 5
Toru Yano = 4

For the sake of my sanity I'll be keeping a running tally of points, so all votes as made are final - so no editing your post after the fact or posting 27 posts later,"Change my vote for Naruki Doi to a vote for Britt Baker!" - think VERY CAREFULLY before making your selection! Also, please consider:

  • You can enter a tag team on your list if you want, but I'll count them as two entries in alphabetical order which may drop others off your list.
  • If you don't rank your list, I'll assume whoever is at the top is #1 and whoever is at the bottom is at #10.
  • You must choose a wrestler who was ACTIVE in 2020. That means they have had at least one match between January 1st and December 31st, 2020.
  • In the event that a wrestlers' points total equals that of another, they'll be listed in alphabetical order.
  • Do NOT denigrate the choices of anybody else, these lists are subjective and will provide a generalized consensus but not a definitive one.
  • You can note any honorable mentions as well, if you are really struggling to remove people from your top choices. They won't count for points, but if you truly feel deep within your heart that Matt Taven needs some kind of recognition, he'll get it from your post.
  • If you can, please include the age of your wrestler and the promotion they (mostly) wrestle in. It's not necessary, but it can add some fun/interesting stats stuff later on.

And now, to kick things off - my "top ten"

1. Jon Moxley (AEW, 35) - I can't think of anybody who has had a better year as a wrestler (a plaintive voice wails "Go Shiozakiiiiiii" in the far distance), somebody who so consistently brought it at the highest possible level against such a strange and eclectic group of challengers. Moxley's reign as AEW Champion sadly had a shadow cast over it by COVID-19, but he did so much to make it work anyway. His feud with Eddie Kingston rose to shocking heights, especially considering Kingston only showed up in the promotion in July. But while that was the highlight, he also delivered incredible feuds/matches with Brodie Lee, Brian Cage, Darby Allin, MJF, Lance Archer and of course Kenny Omega, as well as very good one-off matches with Jake Hager and The Butcher. His promos have been superb, and he easily carried the company on his shoulders from February through to early December, once again proving that WWE's claim that he simply didn't have the mental strength to handle be a pro-wrestler was utter nonsense. It's just a drat shame that most of the year had to be spent in front of no or small/restricted crowds. Also he's gonna be a daddy now, and his personal and professional happiness just makes me happy too.

2. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW, 52) - There was a significant gap this year when New Japan wasn't running any shows, and when they came back they needed something big to make a splash... so they went with two 50+ year olds! Minoru Suzuki and Yuji Nagata beat the absolute poo poo out of each other, and it was glorious. Suzuki continues to defy age, physics and common sense by still being the scariest, toughest and most aggressive sonuvabitch out there. Along with Nagata, his matches with Shingo Takagi this year have been excellent, hard-hitting affairs, and there even appears to be an angle simmering in the background between himself and top Suzuki-Gun lieutenant Taichi which promises fascinating things. At 52-years-old, Suzuki doesn't need any qualifiers for why he's in my Top Ten list, he's simply just that good.

3. Hangman Adam Page (AEW, 29) - When Adam Page was named as competing against Chris Jericho to decide who would be the inaugural AEW Champion, I thought it wasn't a great idea. Page was good, but not as good as people made him out to be, and it was the wrong time for him to be going for the title. I still think I was right to believe this, but over 2020 Hangman Adam Page has also shown just why so many saw so much potential in him, and he has realized a tremendous deal of it. His ability in the ring can't be denied: his tag team championship reign with Kenny Omega was superb; his self-doubt and the tension it caused with The Elite was compelling to watch; his part in the Stadium Stampede was incredible; the way FTR got under his skin and wrecked his friendship with the Young Bucks; his devastation at the collapse of his partnership with Kenny Omega; all the way through to his growing, confused friendship with The Dark Order. Hangman Page has been a revelation in 2020, and with his youth and the storyline seeds that have been planted, it looks like he will continue to be so for 2021 and many years to come.

4. Mr. Brodie Lee (AEW, 41) - I was going to put him on my list anyway if only for his part in the OBLITERATION of TNT Champion Cody Rhodes, one of the most perfect squash matches and heel performances I have ever seen in my life. When he was cruelly taken from this world at an impossibly young age, it only cemented his place on my list, and makes me so sad that he can never appear on any future lists of active wrestlers ever again. Mr. Brodie Lee as the Exalted One was an inspired choice, part a riff on Vince McMahon's eccentricities but largely just a play on namesake Bruiser Brody's status as an "intelligent monster". It wasn't just what he did as a wrestler, but the affect and impact he had on those around him: he elevated everybody. The Dark Order was doing well but still recovering from a poor start, but when Mr. Brodie Lee arrived he rose them to new heights. New stars were formed, and his interactions with them both on the show but also the Being The Elite youtube series created and crafted personalities that still shine through to this day and into the future. That his last in-ring performance was putting over a babyface hero is almost as perfect as the fact he wrapped up his BTE appearances finally accepting John Silver as a colleague. Brodie Lee left the world a better place than he found it, he was beloved and respected and will be missed.

5. Bayley (WWE, 31) - The saving grace of WWE during the pandemic era, Bayley rose to new heights as a heel during this time first as the tag team partner of BFF Sasha Banks and then as her bitter enemy in a singles feud. Her ad-libbing was a breath of fresh air in the micro-managed disaster that is WWE, and even their bad booking couldn't stop her from delivering high quality both in the ring, on promos and as a guest commentator. Even though she was a heel, this was the first time since the glory days of her babyface run in NXT when the viewer was reminded just why people used to say that even WWE couldn't possibly gently caress up somebody as good as her. They did, of course, but she's so good that she's actually managed to somewhat recover from it, and every time she appears on screen it is a joy to watch her.

6. Sami Zayn (WWE, 36) - Disappearing for multiple months due to, you know, living in Canada and there being a global loving pandemic, Sami Zayn's return reminded yet again why an off-season is NOT a bad thing in pro-wrestling. He appeared to have recharged his batteries in the interim, and there was something wonderful about seeing him return and try to pretend that nothing had changed in the meantime. He still claimed to be Intercontinental Champion (with good reason), he thought he could still boss Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro around, and he expected to be greeted with open arms. When none of that happened, like all good heels he got pissed at people not letting him get away with bullshit. But the best thing is he could back it up, he "won" the Intercontinental Title in a match against a champion he claimed to be a pretender, and sent him packing to a different brand to boot. He let success go to his head, he annoyed everybody and then got made to look like an idiot and like all good heels he eventually lost to an actual good babyface who was elevated by the victory. Like Bayley, Sami is frequently misused and ill-treated by the dogshit promotion he works for. Like Bayley, Sami also still regularly finds ways to make things work in spite of that.

7. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 36) - OC was a lot of fun when he first started in AEW, but there was a fear that maybe he might end up being a one-note joke. Happily that was far from the case, as he has gradually stepped up his "effort" while still retaining the core of his character as a laidback, chilled out guy who is just a little too lazy to get bothered by much of anything... but when he actually decides to wrestle? Oh boy he's pretty loving great. His sudden appearance in the Parking Lot Brawl between Best Friends and Proud'n'Powerful was great, his matches against an increasingly exasparated Chris Jericho were hilarious, but it was his match against the bastard PAC at Revolution that really sold me on him as a phenomenal professional wrestler.

8. Cody Rhodes (AEW, 35) - He's the archetypal white meat babyface hero and it kinda rules. Cody is designed from the ground up to be a star and a hero (and on the reverse, an easy flip away from a corrupted, arrogant heel should he ever want to) and even if you can see the seams it doesn't really matter, because he just does it so well. But while his construction is deliberate, he's not committee driven or soullessly put together like he might have been in WWE (where they were more interested in Vince getting "revenge" on Dusty Rhodes for <FILE NOT FOUND>). There is a personal touch to Cody, an idea that yes he might be actively going out of his way to construct a persona... but he's doing it from a genuine desire to actually be that hero/icon and a role model for kids. Brodie Lee's obliteration of him as TNT Champion only worked because Cody had put so much hard work into building himself up in the role of Champion, which meant that his destruction actually meant something. There is no denying his commitment, his dedication, and his desire to be a star. He's doing what his dad did, which is great, but what is even better is how he's helping so many other people achieve their dreams too while he pursues his own.

9. John Silver (AEW, 29) - This weirdo little hyperactive 29-year-old kid with arms the size of tree trunks is exactly the kind of off-beat, weird and different thing that has largely been missing for far too long from pro-wrestling in the 21st Century... at least on the mainstream level. He's been around a long time on the indies, and when he came to AEW as one half of The Beaver Boys with Alex Reynolds and got co-opted into the Dark Order, it kinda felt more like they just really weren't all that sure what to do with him. But then on BTE he got to show a little of his personality and it was bizarre and weird and hilarious, and because AEW actually encourages creativity he got to start showing that on Dynamite as well. Boy did he, "Silver's got the zoomies!" was a hilarious post made by somebody as they watched Silver just go berserk during a multi-man match and fly in and around the ring like a fire-hydrant sized Claudio Castagnoli. He gets to talk, he gets to do skits, they're teaming him and Reynolds up frequently with Hangman Adam Page now. AEW has been a godsend for Alex Silver, which means a godsend for us, because we get to enjoy watching him go nuts now.

10. MJF (AEW, 24) - It was tough to think of exactly who to put last on my list, not least of all because some of my favorites from last year like Okada and Ishii have disappeared from this year's list entirely purely due to COVID restrictions. I thought about Chris Jericho, who despite saying some stupid-rear end, tone-deaf things this year continues to be a remarkable wrestling presence. Kenny Omega's late shift back to his Cleaner-era personality was a welcome and interesting change but one I think will really come to the fore in 2021. Switchblade Jay White is a detestable knife pervert as always and his gleeful goading of a crowd who CANNNOT make noise made for some great fun when he returned to New Japan. But in the end it was MJF, who has done to a large extent what all of these guys have done, but consistently across the entire course of the year, that cemented the spot. He's so good, he's so talented, he's so young, it really is quite extraordinary. The confidence he exhibits, the bullshit he pulls, the way he backs things up (largely) in the ring, he's a total package who I'd say is going to be a big star in the future... except he already is one in 2020.

The long and short of it:

1. Jon Moxley (AEW, 35)
2. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW, 52)
3. Hangman Adam Page (AEW, 29)
4. Mr. Brodie Lee (AEW, 41)
5. Bayley (WWE, 31)
6. Sami Zayn (WWE, 36)
7. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 36)
8. Cody Rhodes (AEW, 35)
9. John Silver (AEW, 29)
10. MJF (AEW, 24)

So that's my top ten as at this present time. It's quite different from last year's of course, with a significant AEW presence now that was largely absent last year. Okada's absence feels the most weird to me, but both he and Ishii had a quiet 2020 for reasons largely outside their control, and Okada in particular finally demonstrated a weakness in his God-like game by turning out to struggle to perform at a high level when there are no crowds to perform for (plus his dogged insistence to get the Money Clip over).

So that's me, but what about you? Who were YOUR favorite active wrestlers in 2020? Have a think, post your lists, talk about your wrestlers, have fun! You have until midnight EST on January 22nd to get your lists in, and then we can see what we, the posters of Don't Post Puro Here, think!

Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 09:14 on Jan 9, 2021

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Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

Countdown of Results starts here.
Complete listing of final results.

Final Statistics
Goon Prediction Rankings

Jerusalem fucked around with this message at 09:15 on Jul 4, 2021

Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



10. Angel Ortiz (29, AEW) - On the first day of AEW Dynamite I had heard that LAX were good wrestlers, but I knew nothing about them. Throughout 2019 and especially 2020 I became a massive fan of these two. The fact that I had to pick one is the only reason Ortiz is on the list and Santana is not.

9. Eddie Kingston (39, AEW) - Good promos make me interested in what they have to say. Great promos make me believe what they say. Eddie Kingston makes me believe that he believes every word he says.

8. Baliyan Akki (Gatoh Move/ChocoPro) - Honestly for the longest time he was my favorite of the Best Bros, but then Mei Saint-Michel...

7. Mei Suruga (21, Gatoh Move/ChocoPro/TJPW) - Fun fact, her first wrestling event she ever went to live was Okada/Omega 2.

6. Yuki Kamifuku (26, TJPW) - Best theme song in wrestling, bar none.

5. Mizuki (25, TJPW) - https://twitter.com/ddtpro_eng/status/1325166802658238467?s=21

4. Konami (24, Stardom) - She's always been my favorite member of TCS, but now she's teaming up with Bea Priestley and I'm sad.

3. Saki Akai (33, DDT/TJPW/She also plays Quetzalcoatl in Fate Stage Plays) - A highlight in every promotion she's in. I've literally used her to get friends into wrestling.

2. Maxwell Jacob Friedman (24, AEW) - Holy poo poo he's only 24.

1. Hyper Misao (TJPW) - She is a hero. On the best day for professional wrestling, November 7th, Hyper Misao had the second best match of the day (behind Yuka Sakazaki vs Mizuki). She then followed it up with a massively emotional main event.

RealFoxy
May 11, 2011

I'm not making a fucking QCS thread for this but seriously can we take a harder stance on Kiwifarms freaks like this guy, Jesus Christ seriously, you used to be better at knocking these creeps down. I guess ADTRW mods aren't responsible like GBS mods are.
2020 in many ways derailed the trajectory of many rising stars, essentially banning travel internationally and for a majority of the year, preventing large arena shows and derailing entire companies as they struggled to find out the sweet spot in a COVID era world. Despite that, there were many more people who actually managed to step up and thrive this year proving their versatility and creativity

1. Adam Page (29, AEW)
2. Adam Cole (31, NXT)
3. Kenny Omega (37, AEW)
4. Yuka Sakazaki (???, TJPW)
5. Kyle O'Reilly (33, NXT)
6. Chris Brookes (29, DDT/Choco Pro)
7. Hiromu Takahashi (31, NJPW)
8. Mei Suruga (21, Choco Pro)
9. Brodie Lee (41, AEW)
10. WALTER (33, NXT UK)

The edits are just ages and additional info I'll update my post with later to try and sway people into voting for some of my favorites :v:

RealFoxy fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Jan 1, 2021

Senerio
Oct 19, 2009

Ooh! Are we messing with Adora?



I'm glad you said completely "no edits" because it means I can't second guess my list a million times. I went with my gut and my gut said "I am a Hero"

Jerusalem
May 20, 2004

Would you be my new best friends?

Yes feel free to add in edits like ages and promotions and stuff, or fixing typos. Just don't adjust any of the people or places on your list, because whatever it is I see and put into the spreadsheet is final.

Benne
Sep 2, 2011

STOP DOING HEROIN
I'll do my official list later, but for reference, here was last year's Top 10:

1. Kazuchika Okada
2. Tomohiro Ishii
3. Daniel Bryan
4. Chris Jericho
5. Kota Ibushi
6. Jon Moxley
7. Kenny Omega
8. Minoru Suzuki
9. Will Ospreay
10. Pentagon Jr.


...probably safe to say that Will won't be placing this year

SG Bamboo
Aug 21, 2013

Smile. Win. Yay!

1. El Desperado (37, New Japan Pro Wrestling)


Despy is the coolest fucker around, hard to believe his NJC match with Ishii was all the way back in June. Great theme, great matches, great friend, he's the perfect 10.


2. Yoshi-Hashi (38, New Japan Pro Wrestling)


Yoshi-Hashi continues to make me believe in him, and his output has improved from occasional good matches to consistently good.

3. Douki (29, New Japan Pro Wrestling)


Now that YH is actually winning matches, Douki is my absolute boy. I will cheer him 100% against any foe and will cry bitter tears when he inevitably loses

4. Katsuhiko Nakajima (32, Pro Wrestling NOAH)


Nakajima (far right) is too cool for school, he won't even pose with his buddies. I just love what a dickbag he's been since turning on Go, and is easily my favourite part of getting back into NOAH this year. It helps that he's such a phenominal wrestler to go along with it.

5. Taichi (40, New Japan Pro Wrestling)


I still love Taichi and his perfect friendship with Zack, but he's slipped down several places this year. He's still great in the ring, but such a large part of his act has been missing for so long and has allowed others to overtake him in my heart. I miss you Miho :(

6. Daisuke Sekimoto (39, Big Japan Pro Wrestling)


Whenever I'm in the mood for a big man throwing people about, my first choice is Daisuke Sekimoto. If you're familiar with Jeff Cobb, it's that but (in my opinion) better. Though not as meaty as his Strong BJ partner Okabayashi, Daisuke is agile and powerful and entertaining as all hell.

7. Asuka (22, Freelancer, most matches this year was for SEAdLINNNG)


Asuka had my MOTY last year (vs Akito) and her match against Arisa Nakajima in June was my favourite of the covid era until Go/Kenoh came along. That she's so good so young, hopefully theres a long career still to come

8. Yukio Sakaguchi (47, Dramatic Dream Team)


God, it was so hard to pick just one member of Eruption. I went with Yukio (right) over Higuchi and Saki because I like his style the best, but every member comes together to make Eruption one of the best groups in the world.

9. Tadasuke (34, Pro Wrestling NOAH)


Tadasuke is such a sleazy fucker, another dude who found his family in Kongoh and is having the time of his life being a prick to his former friends. Although with Noah's Junior division being as tumultuous as it is, Tadasuke might once again find himself teaming with long time frenemy Daisuke Harada before 2022 rolls around

10. Yuki Ueno (25, Dramatic Dream Team)


Yuki Ueno is this generation's Kota Ibushi. Good looking, great wrestler, hates necks. He's only been in the business 4 years, I can't imagine where he'll be able to go in another decade.

Well that took a while. Mostly for my own interest, here's last year's to see the change.

SG Bamboo posted:

1) Taichi
2) Jay White
3) Minoru Suzuki
4) PAC
5) Hiroshi Tanahashi
6) Daniel Bryan
7) Tomohiro Ishii
8) Chase Owens
9) Yujiro Takahashi
10) YOSHI-HASHI.

So many people fell off the list. Switchblade was off my screen for so long, and MiSu fell victim to being in the bottom half of my Suzuki-gun rankings nowadays. At least Yoshi-Hashi managed to turn it all around and claw his way up.

ItohRespectArmy
Sep 11, 2019

Cutest In The World, Six Time DDT Ironheavymetalweight champion, Two Time International Princess champion, winner of two tournaments, a Princess Tag Team champion, And a pretty good singer too!
"When I was an idol, I felt nothing every day but now that I'm a pro wrestler I'm in pain constantly!"

1. Maki Itoh (25)
2. Maki Itoh (25)
3. Maki Itoh (25)
4. Maki Itoh (25)
5. Maki Itoh (25)
6. Yuka Sakazaki
7.Maki Itoh (25)
8. Maki Itoh (25)
9. Maki Itoh (25)
10. Maki Itoh (25)

Lamuella
Jun 26, 2003

It's like goldy or bronzy, but made of iron.


OK, I'm going to take this entirely in the sense of favourites, so this isn't who I think had the best matches this year. This is who made me the most happy when they were on screen. Ten is a tough ask, even in a year this weird, ESPECIALLY in a year this weird. But here goes.

1. Adam Page (AEW)

In the ring and outside of it, 2020 in AEW has been the story of Adam Page's fall. I already loved him as a wrestler, but this was the year I really saw his potential as a character. His portrayal of Hangman - an anxious, self-sabotaging mess of a man trying to be a good person and terrified he isn't, someone who loves his friends so much he pushes them away in case he poisons them, someone who turns to alcohol because it's a safe and understandable oblivion - is the best character portrayal in wrestling today. And he more than backs it up in the ring. Basically, he's my favourite, in so many ways and for so many reasons.

2. Yuka Sakazaki (TJPW / AEW)

Put simply, magical. Yuka's astonishing ring work is only the start of the story of why her character is so absolutely charming. She's incredibly funny, incredibly animated, has some of the best emotional storytelling in wrestling, and has an accessible vicious streak that's a joy to watch. Her home promotion doesn't do English language commentary, but she tells her story so flawlessly through her ring work and her interactions that you don't need to know Japanese to be speaking the same language as her.

3. Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW)

God, this was a weird year for New Japan. Great shows then no shows then weird shows then great shows again. And one constant throughout it all. New Japan's Perfect Boy. I got into New Japan in May of 2018, which meant that I had about two months of him as an active wrestler before his injury, but it was enough to make him one of my favourites. And since his return he has been the shining light of New Japan for me. So innovative, so funny, so willing to do ludicrous things to make a match better. Just a glorious performer.

4. Mr Brodie Lee (AEW)

Oh god, this one loving hurts. He's been a favourite of mine since Chikara, which made his misuse or lack of use by WWE even more inexplicable. When he got to WWE, in the weird early lockdown days of 2020 it could have been a disaster. He debuted before no crowd, had his early matches in a gym, and was put in charge of a group that weren't really going anywhere. And he made them the most enjoyable part of the most enjoyable wrestling show. Because he was great: great in the ring, great as a character, great as a person. And it is so loving unfair that we don't get to see him flourishing and enjoying his success. I miss you already, Brodie.

5. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move / TJPW)

When the world was falling apart, I took comfort in the little things. Fresh ground coffee at home. High quality instant ramen from the Asian supermarket near where I work. Tiny bespoke pro wrestling from ChocoPro. ChocoPro was a lifesaver for me this year. It showed that it was possible to be funny, to be charming, and to be genuinely great in a tiny format. And there was nobody as funny, as charming, as great, or as tiny as Mei Suruga. From her tag matches as part of BestBros to her excellent showings as a singles competitor, watching her is like experiencing joy. This would have been a much worse year without the delights of ChocoPro. And Mei was the best part of that. And that's before we even discuss the feral maid spotted at Tokyo Joshi shows...

6. Nyla Rose (AEW)

Ferocious. Funny. Skillful. Shitposter. Nyla would be pretty high up in my list of favourite people of 2020, let alone my list of favourite wrestlers. She's a monster in the ring, and outside of it she's one of the most animated performers in wrestling. Her social media presence alone would earn her a place on this list.

7. John Silver (AEW)

From low level jobber at the end of 2019 to one of the most compelling guys on the roster at the end of 2020, it's been a hell of a year for the Meat Man. His performances on Being The Elite showed how much personality he has, but what makes him more than a novelty is how well he performs in the ring. There's nothing like a John Silver hot streak, just cannonballing through three or four opponents without stopping. Wrestling should be fun to watch, and he's one of the most fun people wrestling today.

8. Kris Statlander (AEW)

Injury put my weird alien on the sidelines too early in 2020, and I am eagerly awaiting her return. A great in-ring competitor, and a remarkable goof outside of the ring, the potential for Kris Stat to return in 2021 is one of the places I'm putting my hope for the year.

9. Cara Noir (Progress / Riptide / WXW)

I'm a big believer in the idea that wrestling can be anything. Comedy, action, horror, sci fi, even ballet. Cara Noir is an exceptional performer who treats wrestling as a performance art. This should have been a breakout year for him as Progress champion and a mainstay of the British scene, and we saw glimmers of how great he could be. His Resurgence match with Spike Trivet is absolute gold. Lockdown meant he hasn't got to perform as much as he could have, and I still need to find a way to see his performance in the WXW Catch Grand Prix, but what I saw of him this year was some of the best stuff I saw this year.

10. Leyla Hirsch (AEW)

Wrestling is as much about celebrating the future as the past, and Leyla Hirsch is the future of women's wrestling. She brings a flavour to her AEW matches quite unlike any other part of their current brand. She's an incredible grappler, a powerhouse, and her moonsault is a joy to watch. I can't wait to see the stories she'll get to tell

Lamuella fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Jan 1, 2021

Cerebral Bore
Apr 21, 2010


Fun Shoe
This is what I've got off the top of my head, so no regrets :justpost:

1: Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW) - TOUGH AND HARD STONE PITBULL is once again the MOTYC machine and the MVP of the G1 against some very stiff competition. Seriously, I went and checked and the guy's got like 11 MOTYC noms from this very subforum, which means that not only does he have more than any promotion except AEW and New Japan itself, he's also responsible for 1/6 of the NJPW nominations. And New Japan didn't even run shows for about a third of the year. So if this man is not on your list then what are you even doing?

2: Kenny Omega (AEW) - Dude has had a great year with his run as tag team champ and is not rounding it out by capturing the big one and transforming into a modern day Ric Flair. Also a MOTYC machine and the perfect guy for every angle he's been in throughout the year.

3: Minoru Suzuki (NJPW) - Not only is this man over 50 years old, but he also had one of the best feuds over the summer and keept delivering fantastic matches over the G1. It was tight between him and the next person on my list, but I figured that if I didn't include him in my top 3 it would raise the probability of me being murdered by MiSu from almost certain to definitely happening. While other wrestlers may be younger and more flashy there is no one that makes you believe like Suzuki does. Persistent source of my nightmares.

4: Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW) - Has been the MVP of the Jr division in New Japan and has kept delivering fantastic matches all year. Just outstanding work on every level in a division filled with some of the greatest talent in the world.

5: Hangman Page (AEW) - Hangman has always been great in the ring but it's his character work where he has really taken it to the next level. The fall of Hangman has pretty much been the most emotional story in AEW and he ends the year poised for great things in the future along with his new group of best buddies. And speaking of.

6: Brodie Lee (AEW) - Despite what ended up happening Brodie proved to the world that he was a legit main eventer and not only took the Dark Order from directionless midcard act to one of the most over groups in the business, but also clearly made the promotion and everybody he worked with better for his presence. RIP Big Rig.

7: Hikaru Shida (AEW) - The AEW women's division has had a lot of problems, but you can always count on Shida to deliver. She's had good matches all year and has had a good run as champ. Despite not cutting a lot of promos and given criminally little time she still comes off as a big deal and as a natural champion.

8: MJF (AEW) - Jesus Christ what a loving megaprick. He's perfect. About on the same level of rear end in a top hat as my next entry, but better in the ring so he gets the higher spot.

9: Britt Baker (AEW) - She's been uneven in her in-ring work, but her character work since her heel turn in early 2020 more than makes up for it. Just one of the best heels in the business.

10: Shingo Takagi (NJPW) - Beefy boys doing beefy things is always good, and barring Big Tom Ishii Shingo is just the best in the business. Has had a bunch of absolute bangers all year including that spectacular and brutal series against Suzuki.

Honorable mentions, Kota Ibushi, Despy, Jay White, Lucha Bros.

Cerebral Bore
Apr 21, 2010


Fun Shoe
Just realized that I totally forgot about Moxley, but that's the way it goes sometimes I guess.

forkboy84
Jun 13, 2012

Corgis love bread. And Puro


Somehow when I last did this SANADA was in my top 10. God I've fallen off SANADA so hard in 15 months.

1. Hiromu Takahashi
Throw a reckless self-disregard in with out-of-this world athleticism & absolutely bonkers levels of charisma & an oddball personality & the end result is Hiromu Takahashi. "Hi everybody, I'm back from a broken neck, let me show you I'm fine by throwing myself into the steel barricades just for the hell of it." Absolutely mad bastard. So incredibly likeable. Rad Suicidal Tendencies jacket. And an absolute force in the ring. He got a good match out of EVIL during his Hell-reign. Wrestle Kingdom return vs Ospreay is one of the best matches of the year despite it being his first match back from said broken neck. He lost nothing & added a propensity for loving stupid long chop battles which I adore. That one with Ryu Lee at New Beginning, jesus christ, Kobashi & Sasaki were wincing at the state of their chests after those 5 minutes.

2. Go Shiozaki
Go Shiozaki took 2020 by the scruff of the neck from the 4th of January & never let go, just beating the poo poo out of it with with chops & lariats until the year's chest was bleeding. He did it all while carrying Pro Wrestling NOAH on his back with a title run that would make Kenta Kobashi proud. 15 months ago he was the 2nd guy in the best tag team in the world, a great wrestler who had still never quite reached the expectations had of him when he first came around. Today he's a couple days short of a year long run with the GHC Heavyweight Title made famous by Akiyama, Kobashi, Marufuji & Misawa, every single title match has been great and he's a guy who has 3 matches in my top 5 matches of the year list. "I am NOAH". drat right you are bruv.

3. Tomohiro Ishii
A down year for Ishii, he's only got 12 matches in the top 100 of 2020 on Cagematch & 16 matches rated 8/10 or higher. Stone Pitbull is loving ferocious. Another impeccable G1 Climax. That amazing NEVER Openweight war with Shingo back in February. The New Japan Cup matches with Despy & Hiromu. And of course being a part of Yoshi-Hashi's first title win, a surprisingly great moment.

4. Shingo Takagi
First person I've got in the same position I had them the last time we did this, it's The Dragon. Stellar G1, cool as hell, best move in wrestling, great NEVER title win over Suzuki. Obviously his 2020 wasn't on the level of 2019 but 2020 has been a weird year & also his 2019 had to have been one of the best years ever.

5. Katsuhiko Nakajima
The other half of the best tag team in the world in 2019, then he backstabbed his boy Go & joined Kongo. Bastard. Just an utterly smug, vicious prick who kicks harder than Roberto Carlos/Sebastian Janikowski (delete as appropriate to your cultural reference point). Fortunately smug, vicious man who kicks hard is basically my ideal wrestler archetype & Nak does it perfectly. Very excited for his 2021 as he either takes over Kongo or forces it to split & feuds with Kenoh. Pretty sure all their recent singles matches ended in KO so more of that please.

6. Kento Miyahara
It's clear that with All Japan putting Kento on the backburner after he lost the Triple Crown that he is an even bigger part of their show than I'd thought. Obviously an amazing talent, charisma out the wazoo, Shuji Ishikawa had no loving clue what to do with him. And All Japan sucked in the back half of 2020. One of the few highlights was the Champion Carnival Final, fittingly pitting Zeus against our boy Kento. Also feels appropriate to have him right next to his fellow Diamond Ring trainee Nakajima.

7. Yoshiko
All baggage aside, there's no one in women's wrestling whose matches I look forward to watching more than Yoshiko. Seeing her back in Stardom in 2021 is going to be absolutely fascinating.

8. Minoru Suzuki
He's still a vicious old bastard who I love, we got him back in the G1, but he's falling because I've gotten invested in a lot more stuff outside of New Japan this year. Still love my murder grandad though.

9. Konosuke Takeshita
I needed someone from DDT on here. I wanted it to be someone from Eruption but gently caress, I can't do it. It's Takeshita. He's only 25, his D-Ou GP final with Jun Akiyama is an absolute must watch, & he had the greatest cinematic match in wrestling history with Yoshihiko in a Last Man Standing WAR at Peter Pain Night 1. Absolutely bonkers potential & already an amazing talent.

10. Daniel Bryan
Sigh. Look, he's my all-time #1 fave. He's technically still active so I gotta include him in my top 10. But gently caress me do I not care about what he's doing at present. He's stuck treading water in a poo poo company that is unwatchable. It sucks & would have been as well him never coming back from his retirement with how little they've taken advantage of his talent.

I'm editing in some Honourable Mentions because god I feel bad at not naming some people.

Kenoh, my 2nd favourite angry prick kickboy, though he has less arrogance than Nakajima & more of a permanent chip on his shoulder the size of Montana.
Susumu Yokosuka, one of the most consistently good wrestler in the world. His AJPW Jr run last year was so solid. He's rarely flashy, he's just good & elevates whoever he's working against, be it Hokuto Omori & Akira Francesco in All Japan or guys like SB Kento & Jason Lee in Dragon Gate. Plus watching him resent the prematch Natural Vibes dance as he awkwardly does it is just the best.
Masaaki Mochizuki has been wrestling since before Hulk Hogan turned up in WCW, he turns 51 later this month & dude rocks. Not a huge player for Dragongate in 2020 as he was left out of the generation war stuff, but had a very good Twin Gate challenge in December & should get ramped back up for 2021. Also spent a lot of time in NOAH where he had a fantastic match with Go & a very good one with Kiyomiya, & a good run as GHC HW Tag champs with Marufuji.
KENTA, oh look, it's another guy who kicks hard. loving hell I've got a type. KENTA has been an amazing promo & just oodles of fun, he's not what he once was but has adapted really well I think & I still love him.
Ayato Yoshida is a guy I first fell for seeing him on New Japan's Lions Gate shows, things stepped up for him in 2018 as he started appearing as a Young Lion, often teaming with or fighting Shota Umino in one of the highlights of that years NJPW undercards. Then TAKA did whatever it was he did and NJPW cut ties with him (officially at least) & K-DOJO closed down, becoming 2AW. I checked in on them a little in 2019 but at the start of last year he started appearing on AJPW shows & joined JIN where he fit in well with Nomura & Lee & Iwamoto. Then the pandemic hit & I made more time fore 2AW & saw him win their top belt & defend it multiple times, each defence being very good.
Kazusada Higuchi of DDT was involved in some of the best tag matches of last year with Eruption but I tended to focus more on his partners Sakaguchi & Akai. It was only during the D-Ou GP in December that I really started to appreciate him as a consistent performer.
Takashi Sugiura. Probably the most under-rated wrestler of the 21st century. He was 30 when he debuted, he's now 50, he still puts on MOTYC performances, & his merch with his little doggy on it is the best.
Lulupencil brings joy. Not the best, but among the most fun.
Daisuke Harada is another junior like Susumu, just consistency defined without being the flashiest.
Samoa Joe is like Bryan, another dude on here entirely for his work on the US indies. Last decade has been a total waste but that can't take away how amazing he once was.
Satoshi Kojima. I think I like 3 types of wrestlers the most. Guys who kick or chop very hard. Extremely consistent wrestler who almost never lay an egg & veterans who have been great for decades & have barely slowed down. The leader of Bread Club is basically all 3 of those.

forkboy84 fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Jan 2, 2021

spamman
Jul 11, 2002

Chin up Tiger, There is always next season...
Here's my list, I only really watch AEW, but it's been the first thing to genuinely have me watching every week (with friends over the internet throughout the pandemic no less).

1.Hangman Adam Page - One of the most relatable and captivating wrestlers I've ever seen. His stuff on BTE throughout the year but particularly during the pandemic has been must see for me, and also he's great to watch in-ring.
2. Kenny Omea - An absolute cartoon of a wrestler both in the ring and on BTE. V-Trigger into Moxley on the chair was possibly my favourite in ring thing of the year.
3. Ortiz - Massively entertaining
4. Chuck Taylor - This entry really covers all of Best Friends, but he's the most entertaining of the bunch to me.
5. Eddie Kingston - This guy seems like he should just be in movies. His wrestling doesn't massively do it for me but every time he opens his mouth he has my complete attention.
6. Britt Baker - Became the high point of Dynamite for a while, even after she got injured. She's just the worst, in the best way.
7. Penta El Zero M - The other enormous cartoon of a wrestler on this list, I could watch him just walk around and remove his gloves happily.
8. Rey Fenix - The human highlight reel.
9. Evil Uno - Mostly for BTE, but also for the Dynamite stuff. He often makes me laugh, and I'm keen to watch him when he's about.
10. Frankie Kazarian - Love his bits on BTE, and he's always entertaining in ring.

Honourable Mentions (no order)
Absolute Ricky Starks
Angelico
Big Swole
Hikaru Shida
Jack Evans
Jon Moxley
Kris Statlander
Lance Archer
Matt Jackson
Orange Cassidy
Santana
Trent?

Will miss you forever
Mr. Brodie Lee

The Croc
Dec 19, 2004

A-well-a everybody's heard about the bird!

OH YEAH!



1. Adam Page
2. Jon Moxley
3. John Silver
4. Kenny Omega
5. Drew Mcintyre
6. Jay White
7. Tomohiro Ishii
8. MJF
9. Bayley
10. Hikaru Shida

Cavauro
Jan 9, 2008

1. shingo takagi (38) (njpw)
2. tomohiro ishii (45) (njpw)
3. kota ibushi (38) (njpw)
4. jon moxley (35) (aew)
5. utami hayashishita (22) (stardom)
6. adam page (29) (aew)
7. yuka sakazaki (24) (tjpw)
8. fénix (30) (aew)
9. PAC (34) (aew) - with that little content
10. Trent? (33) (aew)

this edit is to add the missing 'promotion and age' information

Cavauro fucked around with this message at 15:30 on Jan 1, 2021

GEORGE W BUSHI
Jul 1, 2012

1. Taichi 40, NJPW- He's been my favourite since I first saw his dumbass entrance and it's been so wonderful seeing people come around on him in the past few years. Easily one of the best wrestlers in this year's G1 and his tag team/friendship with Zack Sabre Jr. is very heartwarming.

2. Rina Yamashita 31, Freelance (SEAdLINNNG/FREEDOMS/Ice Ribbon/Pure-J) - I saw Rina more this year than I saw most of my friends. My two favourite promotions at the moment are SEAdLINNNG and FREEDOMS and she's a big part of both. Badass deathmatch wrestler and the way she's been instantly made a part of the unchain fold is why FREEDOMS will always be a better deathmatch promotion than BJW,

3. Ryo Mizunami 32, Freelance (SEAdLINNNG/Gatoh Move) - She told me that she was supposed to be in AEW this year, which on one hand would be great because it means she'd be towards the top of the list but on the other would suck because I'd have far fewer chances to see her. One of the most charismatic people in joshi wrestling and a great wrestler to boot.

4. Masashi Takeda 35, Freelance (FREEDOMS/BJW) - The best deathmatch wrestler in the world, and probably ever. Absolutely insane dude who has been admitted to hospital for blood loss twice this year but refuses to stop. Who else would be genius enough to work a technical submission wizard gimmick in their deathmatches.

5. Sakura Hirota 42, WAVE - Brilliant comedy wrestler who can wrestle with the best of them when the time comes. Her winning the Regina di WAVE and celebrating with her kids was genuinely heartwarming and one of the nicest moments of the year.

6. Asuka/Veny 22, Freelance (SEAdLINNNG, Ganbare, ZERO1, Diana) - For such a young wrestler, she is a creative genius. I've never seen anyone adapt to botches in her matches as well as she does, including redoing the finish in the aforementioned Akito single lighttube match on the fly when it didn't break the first time. Showing up on Chocopro the day her best friend in wrestling died and having that match with Mei Suruga really helped to start the healing process for a lot of distraught wrestling fans that day.

7. Toshiyuki Sakuda 29, Freelance (FREEDOMS/BJW} - An absolute evil gnome. The way he is able to come up with horrible little spots for his deathmatches is almost worrying. Getting out of BJW and coming to FREEDOMS as a despicable heel invader is the best move of this year.

8. Hiromu Takahashi 31, NJPW - It's Hiromu, I shouldn't need to explain this pick.

9. Takumi Iroha 27, Marvelous - I don't know how someone can manage to be so cool and so goofy at the same time, but Iroha pulls it off. It sucks that she's out for so long and missing the Stardom Budokan show because she deserves to be there with Mayu and Yoshiko.

10. Risa Sera 29, Ice Ribbon - Another joshi deathmatch head who "retired" from deathmatches yet has got around it with a variety of stipulations for her ongoing FantastICE reign such as "you can only win by pinfall" or "wrestlers design the weapons".

GEORGE W BUSHI fucked around with this message at 15:34 on Jan 1, 2021

Liquid Communism
Mar 9, 2004


Out here, everything hurts.




1. Jon Moxley (AEW, 35) - What more can be said about Mox? He went from one of the worst used guys in WWE to the definition of a main eventer, carrying the card despite COVID killing crowds.
2. Kenny Omega (AEW, 37) - Kenny's always been good, but his feud with Hangman and utterly perfect heeling at the end of the year were great.
3. Hangman Page (AEW, 29) - {age had a hell of a year. His tag run with Kenny was great, both in the execution and in the breakup, and made him look great. Doesn't hurt that he can work like crazy.
4. Mr. Brodie Lee (AEW, 41) - Rest in peace, Big Rig. I was absolutely not expecting him to be the Exalted One, and my god did he make it work. His own work was great, but the absolute best part was how much he made everyone he worked with look like a million bucks, be it Dark Order via the hilarity on BTE or Cody through first the most vicious squash I'd seen in years and then the absolute wreckage of that dog collar match. drat shame we're not going to get to see him going forward.
5. John Silver (AEW, 27) - There's no way a guy the size of Silver should be able to sell himself as a power wrestler, but he makes it work. BTE sold me on his mic skills too. Hell of a long way from jobbing to Heavy Machiery in MSG last year.
6. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 36) - The spot in the Parking Lot Brawl was perfect carny magic, and what could have been a flash in the pan gimmick is riding purely on his charisma and workrate.
7. MJF (AEW, 24) - How the gently caress is he so good at that age?
8. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 39) - drat good on the mic, and he can go in the ring. He sold my jaded self on storyline more than once.
9. Cody Rhodes (AEW, 35) - Just night and day compared to his run in WWE. Cody's clearly loving what he does, and getting better at it all the time.
10. Nyla Rose (AEW, 38) -

Can you tell I haven't watched anything but AEW this year?

Davros1
Jul 19, 2007

You've got to admit, you are kind of implausible



Liquid Communism posted:


Can you tell I haven't watched anything but AEW this year?

If I can muster up the energy to compile a list, mine's going to be all AEW too.

Punch McLightning
Sep 19, 2005

you know what that means




Grimey Drawer
1. Hangman Adam Page (AEW, 29) – I’ve been fully invested in the Hangman Page arc all year long, and I’m really excited to see what happens with him in the future. He’s also super talented in the ring and seems like a genuinely good person.
2. John Silver (AEW, 29) – his antics on BTE have made me laugh so much this year, and his in-ring work is really good. I think he’ll have a huge 2021.
3. Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW, 31) – Hiromu is an amazing worker who scares the poo poo out of me. He’s so talented in so many different ways – he’s got a wild charisma and he can fly, work on the mat, and even brawl.
4. Matt Jackson (AEW, 35) – I will watch and love every Young Bucks match I watch.
5. Nick Jackson (AEW, 31) – see above
6. Jon Moxley (AEW, 35) – For the first half of the year, he was easily the best promo in the world. He did a fantastic job as the AEW World champion. His matches were all great as well.
7. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 39) – My pick for the promo of the year. I had never followed Kingston before, and I felt really dumb for that. He also can brawl really well.
8. Kenny Omega (AEW, 37) – One of the greatest wrestlers ever. His matches are all must see. I’m enjoying the heel turn as well.
9. Hijo del Vikingo (AAA, 23) – The most amazing flyer in the world. I hope he’ll get more play in 2021, but the situation with AAA really worries me.
10. Rey Fenix (AEW/AAA, 30) – A fantastic high flyer. Every match he has is must see.

People that I gave serious consideration to: Kota Ibushi, Tomohiro Ishii, Orange Cassidy, Brodie Lee, Shingo Takagi, Pac, Minoru Suzuki, Go Shiozaki, Nyla Rose, Pentagon Jr., Santana & Ortiz, MJF, Yuji Okabayashi, Chuck & Trent, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, Riho, Kento Miyahara, Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, Stu Grayson

I’m still learning Stardom but Utami Hayashishita seems like she’ll be a quick favorite of mine.

Thauros
Jan 29, 2003

my top three are more or less permanently cemented unless a retirement or tragedy happens but it gets tough after that. i also follow aew and dragon gate quite closely and feel both promotions had excellent years esp given conditions but generally don't gravitate to specific ndividuals as much in them for whatever reason


1. hiroshi tanahashi (NJPW) - go ace
2. tetsuya naito (NJPW) - first so far to pick the IWGP champ....:smith:
3. hiromu takahashi (NJPW) - best total package of charisma and workrate in the world right now and that's after a horrific injury
4. jungle kyona (stardom) - sucks that she'll never get booked well, obv hope she can make a full recovery from her myriad injuries
5. shingo takagi (NJPW) - maybe the best in ring worker in new japan rn? terrific fit that's worked far better than i feared
6. mayu iwatani (stardom)- perfect babyface ace for her promotion
7. taichi (NJPW) the IWGP heavyweight tag title scene has been an unironic highlight of the promotion thanks to him and zsj
8. asuka (freelance) - always incredible in whatever promotion she shows up in, amazing charisma and ringwork for her level of experience
9. momo watanabe (stardom) best in ring worker in stardom. hope the year korakuen angle is more indicative than the dome offer match of her 2021....
10.eddie kingston (AEW) - BITW english language promo, so happy he's got an important spot in a US major that knows how to utilize him

Venomous
Nov 7, 2011





1. Toru Yano
2. Taichi
3. Go Shiozaki
4. Hiromu Takahashi
5. Takashi Sugiura
6. Katsuhiko Nakajima
7. Nyla Rose
8. Hideki Suzuki
9. Jon Moxley
10. Tomohiro Ishii

Davros1
Jul 19, 2007

You've got to admit, you are kind of implausible



1. Jon Moxley (35, AEW) - THE World Champion. Gave the best promos, put on the best matches. Fought like a World Champion should fight. And single handily made the AEW World Title the most prestigious World title in the US, if not the world.

2. MISTER Brodie Lee (41, AEW) - When he made his debut as the Exalted One, I have to admit I was somewhat disappointed. What could the former Luke Harper really do? Well, in the following weeks and months he showed me EXACTLY what he could do. His utter destruction of Cody for the TNT Championship is my MOTY, and the beatdown afterwards was my segment of the year. And when he was gone after the Dog Collar match, I kept asking myself "When's he going to show back up?" I can't remember the last time I wondered when a wrestler was going to return. That's how much of an impression he made on me. RIP Big Rig.

3. Eddie Kingston (39, AEW) - The only person who could challenge Mox for Promo of the Year. The man knows how to work an audience better than anyone in wrestling today. The man comes in with a true, hard luck story, and makes himself the most hated man in the promotion. He gives heart-wrenching promos, and can still make you want to see him lose. He's that good.

4. Kenny Omega (37, AEW) - From a technical stand point, there's no one who can touch Kenny. Everything is so crisp, and so devastating. He was the only guy who could beat Mox.

5. Ricky Starks (26, NWA/AEW) - There's no limit to what this guy is going to achieve. He's that drat good. AEW could put him over anyone on the roster, and you'd buy it. They could make him the TNT champ, one of the Tag Champs, or the World Champion next week, and it would be believable. This guy is the future of pro wrestling. And he's only 26.

6. Aron Stevens (38, NWA) - gently caress you, I loved the "Shooter" gimmick he was doing in the NWA. After Damien Sandow, and Aron Rex, Stevens finally connected with a gimmick and personality that just clicked. I looked forward to him appearing every week, and his run with the NWA National Heavyweight championship belt was one of the highlights of the year for me.

7. Thunder Rosa (34, NWA/AEW) - There's a reason why every promotion wants her, and that's because she's phenomenal. She's someone a division can be built around.

8. Evil Uno (33, AEW) - You know what I love most about Uno? The one thing most wrestlers don't understand or do? Anybody can do the moves, the spots, etc. It's everything that comes in between the moves that can sell a match, and no one, and I mean no one, is better at mannerisms than Evil Uno. That's a natural, innate ability that can't be taught, and can turn a poor match into a good match, and a good match into a great one.

9. Abadon (??, AEW) - Aw yeah, this is the poo poo I live for in professional wrestling.

10. Leva Bates (37, AEW) - May have only wrestled a handful of matches this year, but her character work is second to none. And as long as I have been watching wrestling, I can't ever recall seeing a gimmick where a wrestler is just so drat happy when they win a match. Which, when you think about it, should be the most obvious thing.


Honorable Mentions:

Britt Baker: The best heel in the business
Lance Archer: Aw yeah, let the bodies hit the ... ceiling?!
Diamante: A solid, underrated wrestler
Orange Cassidy
Jon Silver: If they make a Gremlins 3, all the Gremlins should be played by him
The Butcher & The Blade: BEEF
Adam Page: Your time is a'comin'.
Nyla Rose: Listen, just because you're not part of a brawl doesn't mean you still can't kick peoples' asses.
Jacob Fatu: I'm a simple man who likes simple things, and one of those things is a big Samoan wrecking people.

Rarity
Oct 21, 2010

~*4 LIFE*~
Oh hurray glad this thread is back. Not posting my list yet cause I want it to be an effortpost but good times are ahead

a cyborg mug
Mar 8, 2010



1. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW, 52) - With me getting tired of Chris Jericho and Okada not being himself this year, I can now say there is only one wrestler who is my favorite, and that man happens to be the King of pro wrestling. For me, there is no one who's simply as loving good at this poo poo at every level as Minoru Suzuki. Always believable, always hard-hitting, always exciting, always technically immaculate, Suzuki never fails to deliver exactly what I want from pro wrestling, which boils down to "an old maniac cackling with glee as he elbows people in the face extremely hard".

2. Shingo Takagi (NJPW, 38) - I am ashamed that this glorious beast of a man wasn't on my list in the last thread. What the hell, me? I deserve to be destroyed, preferably with powerful lariats. Like Thauros said, probably the best in-ring worker NJPW has right now and a wonderful handsome dragon man

3. Taichi (NJPW, 40) - Last year I thought Miho was an essential part of Taichi's whole deal, and I still hope she comes back ASAP, but Taichi has been on loving fire all year long, with or without Miho. He is the sneering, arrogant, lazy, cheating piece of poo poo of my heart.

4. Lulu Pencil (Gatoh Move, in her 20s I believe) - No other pro wrestler made me laugh as much as The Most Valuable Pencil in 2020. This pink stick figure woman is simply incredible at what she does and my pick for best comedy wrestler currently. No one moves, sells or lays out matches like Lulu Pencil. And her secret ultimate weapon is a next-level underdog babyface energy that when activated makes you genuinely worry about her and cheer for her to somehow very improbably scrape up a win.

5. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW, 45) - nothing needs to be said about the TOUGH & HARD STONE PITBULL

6. Go Shiozaki (NOAH, 38) - I firmly believe Shiozaki is the Wrestler of the Year 2020 and I would have loved to place him higher on my list but the reality is this: I've loved all of his title matches this year but have watched little of him otherwise, and if I had to choose between watching a match with any of the top 5 people above or one with Shiozaki, I would probably still go with any of them. But that's just because I love all of 'em and am very much invested in them. In any case, Shiozaki is like a top 5 best in the world right now and is in large part responsible for a whole lot of new people getting into NOAH. That is an incredible feat especially in a year where it seemed questionable if fans would even stick around at all and if various promotions would even be standing at the end of the year.

7. Jay White (NJPW, 28) - honestly, I sort of dreaded Jay White coming back to Japan. How could he possibly work with crowds who are not allowed to boo his slimy antics and cheer for the valiant babyface to finally shut him up? Would he have gotten rusty during his time off? The answers were "very easily, by being an even bigger rear end in a top hat than before" and "lol nope he's somehow better". MVP of the G1 alongside with Ishii.

8. Viktor Tykki (FCF, in his 20s I believe) - I again wanted the final standings to have at least one Finnish name so I went with Viktor Tykki again and will just copypaste my old description of him because nothing has changed. Imagine a guy who has the body of Kevin Owens and just that aura of intensity like Samoa Joe, coupled with genuinely violent-looking, snappy offense and an excellent grasp of match psychology and his character. Also, he's only been active for a few years and is already in the top 3 wrestlers in this country. There are others like his eternal rival Shemeikka or Salomon Strid who might be better at the technical stuff, but I think this dude is the total package and could be a legit player in the pro wrestling industry if he ever were to break out of Finland. What little he had the chance to do this year was the best thing on every FCF card.

9. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move, 21) - Mei is one of those wrestlers where I firmly believe anyone who sees even one match she's in will understand why people love her. Incredible energy, charisma and ability at her age and in-ring experience. She will definitely be a big deal a year or two down the line.

10. YOSHI-HASHI (NJPW, 38) - what a year for the :yoshihashi:. From pretty much complete irrelevance and an injury that could have ended his career to him GETTING BACK UP and TURNING IT ALL AROUND and making people flip the hell out for him winning the loving trios titles of all things. It's been truly incredible to watch, barsbay. I am the YOSHI-HASHI Girl https://www.reddit.com/r/njpw/comments/c1hc8r/japanese_girl_cries_when_she_says_her_favorite/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 "He promised us to try his best, so I believe in him" :japan:

Man it's still so hard to leave people you love off the list. I really wanted to put El Desperado on it because he rocks insanely much and had that legit MUST WATCH match with Hiromu (on top of incredible work all year round) but all the ones on my top 10 are names I can't budge on. Despy would've been #11. Kenoh should've been on the list as well but I just didn't see enough of his matches. I hope to catch more of the Fist King next year. And AEW is a Whole Thing for me - without Britt Baker's injury and me eventually dropping AEW from my schedule I'm sure she would've been on my list, as could've been Nyla, plus probably various other AEW people. Also, I would never have thought Okada of all people wouldn't fit on my list, and while I still believe in the Skipper, his year just was not what it should have been after those two WK matches.

a cyborg mug fucked around with this message at 20:29 on Jan 1, 2021

Fad
Nov 13, 2002

I dont care.
Here’s who I enjoyed most in 2020

1. Taichi (40, NJPW)
2. Shingo Takagi (38, NJPW)
3. Tomohiro Ishii (45, NJPW)
4. El Desperado (37, NJPW)
5. Hangman Adam Page (29, AEW)
6. Zach Sabre Jr. (33, NJPW)
7. Jeff Cobb (38, NJPW)
8. Kenny Omega (37, AEW)
9. Angelico (33, AEW)
10. Jay White (28, NJPW)

Honorable Mentions

PAC
Lance Archer
Pentagon Jr
Rey Fenix
John Silver
KENTA

Fad fucked around with this message at 22:27 on Jan 1, 2021

CombineThresher
Apr 10, 2006

GIT R DONNE

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.

Sandman from ECW
Sep 6, 2011

1. Jon Moxley (AEW, 35) - He’s the loving man right now, what else is there to say?

2. Adam Page (AEW, 29) - The story of the Hangman this past year, and where it looks to go in the future, has had me more invested in wrestling than anything in a very long time. Page/Omega vs The Young Bucks is pretty easily my match of the year.

3. Thunder Rosa (AEW, 34) - Thunder Rosa comes across as more of a bad rear end than just about anyone in the business right now. She has the potential to be an absolutely massive star.

4. Darby Allin (AEW, 27) - This beautiful weirdo brings a unique dynamic to the show with his brooding character and dorky but charming drama projects. And he jumps off things and takes stupid bumps. It works.

5. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 36) - OC is one of those perfect wrestling gimmicks whose character logically informs his wrestling style in a unique and entertaining way. His momentum has stalled a bit lately, but I still get a kick whenever he does stuff.

6. Chris Jericho (AEW, 50) - Yeah he’s an alcoholic chud or whatever, but he entertains me on the wrestling show, so what can you do?

7. Kenny Omega (AEW, 37) - One of the very best in the world and we’re just kicking off what should be a legendary title run. His feud with Adam Page has all the makings of a true classic.

8. Ricky Starks (AEW, 26) - Team Taz in general is a delight, and a big part of the reason why is Ricky Starks. His cocky swagger is fun to watch and his style provides a nice counter-balance to the mountain of man meat that is Brian Cage and Will Hobbs.
Also listening to Taz provide on-the-job commentary training to Starks is one of the main reasons I watch Dark.

9. Stiiiiiiiiing (AEW, 61) - I’m a lifelong Sting mark and will fist fight anyone who doesn’t respect the Stinger.

9. Otis (WWE, 29) - I have no idea if he’s good at wrestling, but what I have seen has left me very sports-entertained in a way that only Professional Wrestling can provide. We need more fat guys!

10. The Fiend Bray Wyatt (WWE, 33) - Such good poo poo.

Sandman from ECW fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Jan 2, 2021

Lunatic Sledge
Jun 8, 2013

choose your own horror isekai sci-fi Souls-like urban fantasy gamer simulator adventure

or don't?
bare minimum baby

1.) Joooon Moxley
2.) The Butcher
3.) Colt Cabana
4.) Eddie Kingston
5.) Brodie Lee
6.) Adam Page
7.) Hikaru Shida
8.) Abadon
9.) My Best Friend Penta
10.) Maki Itoh

Nostradingus
Jul 13, 2009

I will post with the caveat that I only watch AEW with any regularity, but I check out clips from other places if people here seem to be high on them. I'm not well versed in wrestling so these are just the people who make me perk up when they're in action...

10. Chuck Taylor (AEW): He's a weird goofus who is actually a really good wrestler.

9. Asuka (WWE): Continues to be entertaining in spite of (waves hand in general direction of WWE). Pro tier Youtube channel.

8. Evil Uno (AEW): I don't know if he's a great wrestler technically, but he is one of the most expressive in the ring, even more impressive from a guy in a mask. Excellent nonverbal storyteller.

7. Abadon (AEW): 100% dedicated to a gimmick that could be stupid, but she makes it compelling. Extremely looking forward to her match with Shida and whatever is next down the line.

6. Rey Fenix (AEW): cool flipman

5. Thunder Rosa (AEW?): Has never had a bad match in my experience. She's going to be a megastar. Love her look and her intensity.

4. Jon Moxley (AEW): Yeah he's a great brawler/tough guy, but who knew he could talk? Perfect as the face of the company.

3. Danhausen (ROH): I discovered him through Twitter of all places and immediately fell in love. Watched his ROH contact match and I was sold. He's so weirdly charming and legitimately funny. I laughed my rear end off when he was frightened by his own entrance pyro. Praying we'll see him on national televisionhausen soon...

2. Orange Cassidy (AEW): A year ago he was my #1 and pretty much the only reason I'd tune in to AEW. I think the character has gotten a little stale now, but there's still a lot of potential. I think the character might not work as well without crowds. I still love to see him most of the time, though.

1. Hangman Adam Page (AEW): To have someone who is successful while struggling with self confidence issues and toxic friendships is more nuance than I thought I'd ever see from wrasslin. It's one of the most honest depictions of ennui I've ever seen in media and I deeply appreciate that it's never played for laughs, nor is he ever portrayed as a loser.

bartok
May 10, 2006



1. Jon Moxley
2. Brodie Lee
3. Tetsuya Naito
4. Adam Page
5. Hiromu Takahashi
6. Hikaru Shida
7. Eddie Kingston
8. Shingo Takagi
9. El Desperado
10. Dustin Rhodes

Lead Pipe Cinch
Mar 10, 2003

Heavy Metal Bakesale


This was incredibly tough for me, because generally speaking, I have more of an affinity for tag teams than I do singles performers, but wanted to recognize more discrete acts, so a few of these picks are representatives of larger groups, and I decided to honorable mention acts that I would’ve otherwise included as a single entity if this worked that way.

1. Jon Moxley (AEW, 35) - What hasn’t been said about Mox at this point? He was an effective standard bearer for the company and reliably put on good matches with everybody. Very interested where his focus goes now that he’s dropped the title, but I hope he takes all the paternity leave he needs.

2. Hangman Page (AEW, 29) - The emotional core of AEW and probably the most relatable wrestling character I’m aware of. We’re over a year into a journey examining imposter syndrome and toxic friendships, and I’m deeply invested in where it goes next now that he’s Dark Order in all but name.

3. Brodie Lee (AEW, 41) - This is functionally a recognition of the whole Dark Order, but Brodie was obviously the element that made the whole thing coalesce. I hadn’t watched wrestling regularly in almost 15 years, so I had no exposure to Brodie’s body of work before AEW, but this forum had me rooting for him to get his release and he totally delivered. It’s an absolute loving crime that he was stuck on the shelf for no good reason for so long, as he really was everything you look for in a top guy, and I’m glad his match with Dustin drew as well as it did.

4. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 39) - Another revelation of a guy who I had no knowledge of and now I just want more and can’t believe he hadn’t hit it big sooner. He hits the same emotional resonance for me as Page, but plays entirely different notes.

5. Thunder Rosa (AEW/NWA, 34)- The highlight of the women’s division this year for me, probably the closest thing to a complete star the AEW women’s division has, and I really hope she’s wrapped up long term and continues to feed Mission Pro performers to Dark.

6. Ricky Starks (AEW, 30) - To me Ricky’s going to be the most immediate breakout star from Team Taz, and he has a similar energy to Sammy Guevara where he’s such a great heel, but you can tell there’s also a great babyface in there and I can’t wait for him to have the chance to show it.

7. The Butcher (AEW, 43) - Butcher and Blade are probably my favorite tag team of the year, really hitting everything I liked about the Acolytes as a kid, but leveled up. Giving the nod to Butch on his own based on his whole aura and the obvious work he’s been putting in on his conditioning to get better.

8. Hikaru Shida (AEW, 32)- Put the AEW women’s division on her back this year and always puts on entertaining matches with absolutely magnetic charisma. I don’t know that I’d say AEW has set her up to succeed this year, but she has anyway.

9. Lee Moriarty (Freelance, 26) - If I could pluck one dude off the indies right now and put him on TV, it’d be Lee. Wrestles a style I love and successfully sold me more shows than I planned on buying during the Collective solely due to his presence on the cards.

10. Chris Dickinson (Freelance, 33) - If I somehow got a second TV contract to hand out, it’d go to Dickinson. Again, is incredibly good at a style of wrestling I love, and has such a natural ring charisma I’ll watch him fight anyone.

Honorable Mentions:
Best Friends & OC - I love these dudes and only honorable mentioned them because I couldn’t pick just one to represent the full group. Obviously put the tag division on their back during the Atlanta shows, and I hope they get some run with the belts next year now that the titles are no longer tied up in the dissolution of the Elite.

Santana & Ortiz - Two of the most versatile performers on the AEW roster who can switch between comedy and absolute killers with no dip in credibility, their feud with Best Friends is probably my favorite feud of the year.

Britt Baker - The heel turn did everything it needed to to justify Britt being the first woman signed to AEW, even if it took a few months for them to recognize that. The injury probably kept her out of my top 10, but she made the most of her TV time and I’m looking forward to the blowoff with Thunder Rosa and what’s next.

Tay Conti/Anna Jay/Leyla Hirsch/Red Velvet - despite how relatively limited screen time has been for the AEW women’s division on Dynamite, they’ve added a number of prospects that all have high ceilings that has me feeling bullish about what the division could look like at the end of the year, especially once the new show kicks off and increases TV time available by 50%. I particularly enjoyed the limited exposure these 4 got in the second half of the year.

Edited for formatting and to add promotions/ages.

Lead Pipe Cinch fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Jan 2, 2021

Eat My Fuc
May 29, 2007

1. Daniel Bryan
2. Jon Moxley
3. Sasha Banks
4. Shotzi Blackheart
5. Roman Reigns
6. Britt Baker
7. John Silver
8. Charlotte Flair
9. Asuka
10. Shingo Takagi

Lethrom
Jul 12, 2010



1)Adam Page - AEW, 29, His whole arc with The Elite has been great, his in-ring performance has just gotten better and better since I first kind of paid attention to him when he faced Jericho for the AEW belt. I also generally don't care about tag team stuff but I want more matches with The Good, The Bad, and The Hungie.
2)Eddie Kingston - AEW, 39. My first impression of Kingston on the mic (when he debuted at AEW) wasn't super great, but over time that's changed a WHOLE lot, and his feud with Mox running up to his second title shot was incredible.
3)Brodie Lee - AEW, 41. He'd probably have made the list just because people telling Vince to gently caress off tickles me a bit. But he felt right at home leading the Dark Order; and him squashing Cody for the TNT belt made him feel like a loving monster. I was really stoked that he was finally getting some time to actually be a solo act. Not to mention all the poo poo that came out about what a good dude he was after he died.
4)Orange Cassidy - AEW, 36. I'm not big on comedy so I wasn't really sure about a comedy wrestling act, but yea. Turns out it can be pretty loving good.
5)John Silver - AEW, He's not a kid, he's 29. Gets to be on the list by holding the most prestigious title in wrestling, the BTE championship. Also he's okay in the ring and on BTE, I guess.
6)Ricky Starks - AEW, 26. He's probably the best thing Dark has going for it right now
7)Jon Moxley - AEW, 35. See the gently caress-vince note in my Brodie entry. I wasn't super huge on Mox in the ring, I'm not a huge fan of hardcore matches. I don't mind color, but thumbtacks and barbed wire squick me out a bit, and that's where Mox seems to be a home a lot. But I didn't realize that he could cut a promo until some of his more story-driven title defenses (see:Kingston, Omega, etc). He was always kind of "Not Roman and Not Rollins" back when I paid attention to The Shield in WWE, I missed his solo pushes I guess.
8)Brandon Cutler - AEW, 33. He fuckin' made me care about a story arc in which neither of the participants won any of their matches.
9)Asuka - WWE, 39. I always just enjoyed her ring presence in WWE, but I think her tag team match at Wrestlemania really drew that out. The amount of energy she was able to bring to the room when everything else was dead silent due to the performance center being abandoned really kind of saved her match and generally was a good remedy for just how supremely weird early Covid wrestling was.
10)Tetsuya Naito - NJPW, 38. I don't have a good reason for this. I just like him. I only pay attention to NJPW for WK, and only for the past couple of years at that. I think I'm just really into the energy that came from the crowd chanting "Naito" during his entrance and the NJPW commentators yelling "DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOO". Sorry that this is a cop out answer. I reserve the right to drop him from this list if he loving murders Ibushi at WK doing another apron spot though.


HMs
Kris Statlander - AEW, I love her BTE segments but she just didn't wrestle enough this year for me to actually be able to rank her
Io Shirai - NXT - Felt wrong that I had a main-roster WWE person ranked, but not NXT, when I think that NXT is far-and-away the best WWE product. So Io is here because Heel Io was great in 2019 and Heel Io is probably the person I care most about watching in NXT currently.

xbilkis
Apr 11, 2005

god qb
me
jay hova
1. PAC (AEW, 34) — The best all-around English-speaking wrestler in the world, imo. Grimy steroids goblin who can do sick flippy poo poo and cut a good villain promo without ever veering into cheesy territory. What else can you want?

2. Fenix (AEW, 30) — I got into wrestling in earnest in 2019, and I started by watching a few NJPW matches, so I was sold basically entirely on people doing sick poo poo in the ring. Nobody on Earth does more sick poo poo in the ring than Fenix.

3. Kota Ibushi (NJPW, 38) — In addition to being a great wrestler, Kota Ibushi might also make my list of "Top Ten Most Fascinating Human Beings Alive."

4. Kris Statlander (AEW, 25) — One of the first people I identified as one of my favorite wrestlers. Beyond the cool moveset, I think I was probably also drawn to her because she was maybe the first exciting newcomer to a wrestling company I was following. Very sad about her injury and very excited for her eventual return.

5. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 39) — For me, the non-wrestling parts of wrestling usually range on a scale from "stupid" to "cheesy fun." Eddie Kingston breaks that scale. He's so good at talking, 100% of the time he does it. He can be awesome in a dumb wrestling context (like when he's gleefully trying to break a family apart), but he can also be just straight-up, no qualifiers awesome (like in the build to the Moxley match). The only person whose in-ring work has nothing to do with his place on my list.

6. “Hangman” Adam Page (AEW, 29) — I actually didn't instinctively think of Hangman as one of "my favorites" — maybe because I'm not as in love with the Elite story as the rest of the internet? — but there sure as hell aren't many people I like more than him. Seems like a genuinely good and funny dude, and he might have had the most outstanding matches of anyone in AEW in 2020.

7. John Silver (AEW, 29) — On here less for the (pretty funny) BTE stuff and more for his genuinely great wrestling work. I'm still a relative newcomer to wrestling, and the idea that a guy like John Silver can't be a legit star is mind-boggling to me. He's a physical marvel with obvious charisma and on-point technical skill. If the people with booking power don't think a 5'4" dude doing one-handed gorilla presses isn't worthy of the ultimate spotlight, then they're dumb and should be replaced.

8. Thunder Rosa (AEW/NWA, 34) — Great wrestler, great look, good on the mic, a champion for women's wrestling. Feels like she's on the verge of being one of the most important people in the business and I really want to see that happen.

9. Trent? (AEW, 33) — Of all the things I love about Trent?, the thing that tops the list is probably the fact that one of his signature spots is being violently flung into the ringpost. Either that or his grocery store habits. Another beautiful wrestling weirdo

10. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW, 45) — I only really watch NJPW for a couple of big shows and some nights of the G1. Some nights of the G1 are all I need to know Ishii loving owns. Another guy that makes me think "The entire wrestling business is wrong about which guys should be stars"

HM: Io Shirai, Nyla Rose, Ricky Starks, Bayley, Hiromu Takahashi, Zack Sabre Jr., Sasha Banks

Thanlis
Mar 17, 2011

I’m glad it’s favorites so that I don’t have to agonize about who’s best.

1. ZSJ; there’s nobody I enjoy more in a singles match and he delivers just as much in tags.
2. Hiromu Takahashi, for being consistently awesome and very alive in an awful year.
3. Moxley. May his 2021 bring him just as much joy.
4. Kota Ibushi, who probably is the best.
5. Taichi, for 17 minutes of kicks.
6. Ishii, who wrestles his match better than anyone.
7. Orange Cassidy, busy transcending comedy.
8. Minoru Suzuki, for 52 years of life.
9. Naito, who keeps making me care while pretending he doesn’t.
10. Eddie Kingston, just so magnetic.

HM: Brodie Lee, El Desperado (he’ll make my top ten next year), Shida, Jay White, Shingo, Penta and Fenix, Hangman Adam Page.

stab
Feb 12, 2003

To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high
1) matt martel
2) chase parker
3) sexxxy eddy
4) evil uno
5) stu grayson
6) kevin owens
7) sami zayn
8) mike bailey
9) danhausen
10) eddie kingston


Lazy list of people I've hung out with

karmicknight
Aug 21, 2011
1. Chuck Taylor (AEW, 34) - Like Chuck Taylor is going to have to have done so serious poo poo to get around being the entire point I am wrestling fan to begin with. Chuck Taylor rules.
2. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move/ChocoPro/TJPW, 21) - Mei Suruga has managed to basically become the person I want to be Hikaru Shida for the AEW belt without have ever made a single appearance in that company. Mei Suruga rules.
3. Yuka Sakazaki (TJPW/AEW, Eternal) - Probably the actual best wrestler on this list Yuka Sakazaki loving rules so hard. As the Ace of TJPW during the period I have become a fan of the promotion, it's super clear how she is the best wrestler on the planet and her time in AEW has proven that she doesn't need the English language to become a crossover hit and draw in the US. The duo of greatest shames this year was that Yuka was announced as returning to AEW at the show I was at rather than returned herself, as well as the pandemic prevented her from being a central figure in AEW's women's division. Yuka Sakazaki Rules.
4. Miyu Yamashita (TJPW, 25) - Miyu Yamashita is the coolest wrestler ever. That is the end of the story. Miyu Yamashita rules.
5. Maki Itoh (TJPW, 25) - Maki Itoh is super interesting because she really has a lot of texture to her performance where she splits being petulant and needy with also being a super great underdog. A great comedy performer who became a very good wrestler by the time I was watching her. Maki Itoh rules.
6. Hyper Misao (TJPW, 30) - Hyper Misao is a loving artist and I cannot stress how important that is during the year where the sport of professional wrestling reached its ultimate form as an art piece as it lost the crowd. Hyper Misao rules.
7. Chris Brookes (DDT/ChocoPro, 29) - Chris Brookes rules.
8. Yuki Kamifuku (TJPW, 27) - :toot: E I E I O. Kamiyu rules.
9. Saki Akai (DDT/TJPW, 33) - The Fans Bring the Rules Match made me an instant fan of Saki Akai's work as someone who never really managed to get into DDT in any real sense. That's probably going to change going into 2021 but as it stands Saki Akai has in one showcase won me over as being cool as hell. Saki Akai rules.
10. Emi Sakura (Gatoh Move/AEW/ChocoPro, 44) - You know how I described Hyper Misao as an artist and how important that was, Emi Sakura's response as a wrestling promoter to the pandemic has driven wrestling as a medium forward in a way that should be seeing more imitators. The entire ChocoPro Wrestling paradigm is such a wild concept and the fact that the move to no crowds resulted in a specific anti-paywall stance and the addition of more random content from the wrestlers of the Emi Sakura-verse all centers to on conclusion, and that is that Emi Sakura rules.

Procrastinator
Aug 16, 2009

what?


im having a hard time putting together a list, but i just wanted to say how weird it is to me that 4 people listed chuck but not trent, 1 person listed trent but not chuck, and nobody has both of them. very interesting!!!

EDIT: ok i did it

1. Hiromu Takahashi - IMO one of the secret workhorses of 2020. Big win at WK, retired a legend, deep NJ cup run, one of the better world title matches of COVID times, great BOSJ for my money. Wish he'd been in the G1 so I didn't feel like spending words to justify anything, but really I just had to personally watch every Hiromu match of 2020.

2. Adam Page - Hangman is my most important story in AEW, and so much of my interest in AEW is waiting and hoping for his world title win.

3. Go Shiozaki - I value somebody that makes me go out of my way to watch their company just for them, and Shiozaki alone made me watch NOAH this year. Almost unrivaled presence in the ring this year.

4. Mayu Iwatani - Same sentiment as Go, but for Stardom.

5. John Silver - He's coming into his own and I love it. Waiting for the Silver vs Cage-level real blowout singles match for him, but he's become one of my "watch every one of his segments" guys because I find his energy infectious.

6. Kenny Omega - Kind of an afterthought this year (which it certainly seems was intentionally his story for most of it), but still put out amazing content, even outside of the tags. However, the late 2020 heel run is what really pushed Kenny onto my list.

7. Kota Ibushi - Another almost sneaky good year. Kayfabe eating a lot of poo poo doesn't matter very strongly for me, so despite losing a lot of Big Ones this year, the WK matches and the tag run with Tanahashi buoyed a maybe lesser-than-previous G1 run (which I still liked a lot, especially the Taichi block finals match). Still love All In Ibushi.

8. Yuka Sakazaki - Only real reason I have her this low is that I watched a lot less TJPW than other Japanese promotions. Great year, and hoping to see her be a force internationally again soon.

9. Jon Moxley - hey what the gently caress. Added value to everywhere he showed up this year. Good year start in NJPW despite how it's turned out, AEW World Champion, on top of small stuff like Bloodsport. Almost never my favourite match of the night, but almost never did I come away unhappy (gently caress jake hager).

10. Trent? - ANOTHER another sneaky good year. I think Trent was more of the workhorse b/w him and Chuck, which is what I personally value. Best Friends showed up strong this year, but Trent's singles matches with Moxley, Kenny, and Miro push him over Chuck on my list. Very dismayed that he's going to be out for a while.

Procrastinator fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Jan 2, 2021

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Big Dave
Nov 6, 2009

Friends don't shake hands, friends gotta hug!


1. Alex Colon (36)
2. Chris Dickinson (33)
3. Nick Gage (40)
4. Rickey Shane Page (36)
5. Neil Diamond Cutter (35)
6. Atticus Cogar (23)
7. Jordan Oliver (21)
8. Tony Deppen (30 i think)
9. Matthew Justice (31)
10. THE HOODFOOT
11. Levi Everett (28)

these are all indie guys so they work in a bunch of places but i could list the bigger promotions if you want and i couldnt figure out how old the hoodfoot mo atlas is. these are my favorite wrestlers please calculate their points and alex colon is the best wrestler in the loving world

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