5 Best Breakout AEW Wrestlers Of 2020

AEW had a very strong 2020. Despite the current pandemic hampering the live viewing experience, they’ve still managed to make fun, engaging content throughout the year. Their weekly shows, AEW Dark, Being The Elite and sporadic pay-per-views have maintained a consistent quality. The likes of Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley have been outstanding this year. But let’s look at some of the wrestlers who have burst onto the scene in 2020.

The parameters for break-out stars is a little unique in AEW as they’re still in their formative years and a lot of their superstars are making their debut on mainstream television. They’ve also spent a lot of the year acquiring new talent; some of them have risen straight to the top of the card, giving breakout performances on a national stage.

So I’m establishing two things in this list. Number 1: No former WWE stars. Number 2: The wrestler must have broken out within AEW. For example, Brian Cage is ineligible as he’s basically the same character he was in Impact (and was already a big name in wrestling).

 

5. Ricky Starks

Ricky Starks debuted in a losing effort against Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship back in June. It was a spirited performance but what caught people’s attention were his promo abilities. Despite being paired with a great talker in Taz, Ricky’s confidence and character shine through in each of his segments. He may not have a big win against a top star yet, but his ring-work is so strong and he has all the makings of a top star.

The smallest member of Team Taz, but his ability on the microphone sets him apart from Brian Cage and Will Hobbs. With Taz having a resurgence in AEW this could be a huge benefit to Ricky and his career to come. The association has already paid off by being involved in big feuds against the likes of Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley.
He finds himself in a feud with new TNT Champion Darby Allin. This could be a great showcase of his skills in a big Pay-Per-View match. He could even capture the TNT Championship, in a further showing of faith in the young star.

 

4. Britt Baker

This might be a little bit of a controversial choice. Britt Baker has always been pushed in AEW, staying near the top of the women’s division and has felt like someone being primed for the AEW Women’s championship. But at the end of last year, it was clear she wasn’t connecting with the audience. When she turned heel in January, everything slowly started to click for her.

She leaned into the online criticism that she had no character outside of being a dentist, by becoming an obnoxious heel reminding everyone of her achievements. She berated Tony Schiavoneevery week as a running gag and showed mountains more personality than her flat, face character.

The unfortunate leg injury she sustained in May didn’t slow her down, instead she came out nearly every week in a wheelchair (called roll model) and preached about a conspiracy. An upcoming feud with Women’s champion Hikaru Shida is surely the horizon next year, and it will hopefully be a feud that AEW doesn’t squander.

 

3. John Silver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_ihodLWFWE

It’s very rare to actually be funny in wrestling, and not laugh because it’s Shockmaster-type comedy. But John Silver is so damn funny. It’s hard not to imagine Being The Elite without John Silver making everyone corpse. He steals every scene and he made himself a must-watch character. But more than that, Silver is a great wrestler and has got to show that in matches against Orange Cassidy and Adam Page. He’s absurdly strong for a man of his size, and in the coming year will have plenty of opportunities to show it.

He has great chemistry with the rest of The Dark Order, but eventually his popularity will lead him away from the group. He could show off some of his baby-face fire in an underdog match versus Brodie Lee, or even continue tagging with Alex Reynolds and make a run at the AEW World Tag Team Championships.

 

2. Eddie Kingston

This again might be a little controversial considering my parameters. Established star is admittedly vague, but whereas Brian Cage and Lance Archer have shown up and really just continued the characters they had in New Japan and Impact, Kingston feels like he’s changed AEW in a more tangible way. It’s hard to imagine the show without him.

Despite only having eight matches in his time with the company, he’s managed to have feuds with Cody, Moxley, PAC, Lance Archer, and The Lucha Bros. Personally, the first time I saw him was when he challenged Cody and I was hooked. The sincerity in his voice was like nothing else on the show, and his ability to maintain this intensity for such a sustained time was incredible.

It was only a few months that he was challenging Jon Moxley for the title but even in those few months it felt like he’d gone on a journey. He feels like an integral part of AEW despite not being brought in with any fanfare or attached to an existing legend.

 

1. Orange Cassidy

Starting out 2020, Orange Cassidy was already popular with members of the audience. He had his first singles match against PAC at Revolution, This match that proved Orange Cassidy wasn’t just a one-note joke. It was a note-perfect match that hit the right comedy spots while equally making him look like a threat. Just that match alone would be enough to be on this list, but he continued his rise with a stand-out feud against wrestling legend Chris Jericho.

Jericho is known for giving the rub to young stars, but he didn’t just let Orange Cassidy roll him up for the fluke win. Their feud spanned months and was shockingly violent. Orange Cassidy had to step up his seriousness and really grew as a performer in these series of matches. Cassidy has gone from strength-to-strength and really feels like one of AEW’s brightest stars.

So those are five of AEW’s breakout stars that are sure to continue the ongoing success of the company. Here are some honorable mentions: Wardlow, Anna Jay, Red Velvet, and Will Hobbs. Do you agree with these picks? Who do you think is the biggest breakout star in the company? Please let us know in the comments below.

READ NEXT: 5 AEW Championship Opponents For Kenny Omega