6 Rising Star Wrestlers To Watch In 2021

Supernova stars incoming.

Raquel Gonzalez
Source: WWE

2021 looks to be a year of rebuilding for the professional wrestling industry as it recovers from its (and everything else’s) dramatic downfall at the hands of the pandemic. Throughout 2020, promotions had to combat severely reduced attendance, deal with the inability to have fans present in the arena at all, broadcast shows from remote locations and either postpone or cancel some shows completely. In perhaps the strangest case, one organisation made more of a profit than they had ever done before whilst also simultaneously making 30 wrestlers and backstage personal redundant.

However, the wrestling industry is one tough beast, determined to survive at almost any cost, and survive it did. Titles were won and lost, stories began and ended and emerging talent graced our screens determined to make an impact. So, in 2021, who will rise to the occasion? In no particular order, I believe that these 6 acts are the most likely.

 

1. The Great-O-Khan

Tomoyuki Oka was hardly the standout of his Young Lion class. Katsuya Kitamura had the look and the explosive offence, Hirai Kawato had a crowd connection that none of the experts could quite put their finger on, Henare’s natural in-ring skills and athleticism jumped off the screen and Oka was just there.

His peers graduated and went on excursion (with the exception of Henare who suffered an injury and then returned as a full roster member) and Oka stayed the course, grinding in opening matches, and even being somewhat outshone by his contemporaries such as Shota Umino and Ren Narita. During one NJPW show, he was even made to do squats for the entire runtime as his previous match was considered not up to standard.

However, Oka always had two extremely valuable factors in his favour; the trust and belief of his mentors and the trust and belief of the company. Oka was a decorated competitor in amateur wrestling during his school days whilst also taking part in other combat sports including MMA, judo and kickboxing. It was these aspects that caught the personal attention of Bushiroad (parent company of NJPW) president Takaaki Kidani who immediately signed the 2012 All Japan Wrestling Champion while Oka was still in university.

Oka’s trainer Yuji Nagata had also fallen in love with the prospects’ amateur credentials and throughout O-Khan’s tenure as a young-lion it was always heard that Nagata never stopped insisting that his charge would grow to become a huge star.

The beginning of Oka’s time on excursion as the then ‘Great O-Kharn’ in RevPro UK was not exactly a confirmation of his mentors’ beliefs. The question mark that hung over his face through his entrance, the Mongolian warlord inspired gear, Andy Boy Simmonz’s insistence that he was some great and mysterious warrior; it all took a bit of getting used to. But eventually, the UK crowds grew to ironically love the heel act, especially after O-Kharn was given the mouthpiece of Lord Gideon Grey.

Now returned to the main NJPW roster with the slightly adjusted name of ‘The Great-O-Khan’ he is positioned to be the rising star in the recently formed ‘United Empire’ faction under Will Ospreay. New Japan love to immediately strap the proverbial rocket on those they see as stars upon their return from excursion and O-Khan’s WrestleKingdom match against Hiroshi Tanahashi (eerily similar to Jay White’s first WK match post-excursion) should demonstrate to all that this is their intention.

O-Khan may never be a super-worker but his in-ring style is definitely unique for 2021 NJPW; methodical, cagey and cerebral. His charisma and presence have made his attire badass in a totally unexpected fashion and when you add his cross-armed stance and booming promos that require no microphone; this announces to the world that O-Khan is a serious character who is equally serious about being a successful pro-wrestler. If this was a ranked list, then The Great-O-Khan would be its undisputed Ichiban.

 

2. Wardlow

MJF
Source: AEW

A former indy wrestler who somehow avoided the attention of WWE during that run, ‘Mr Mayhem’ is a future AEW World Champion. Currently MJF’s body-guard in The Inner Circle, I believe that 2021 will see Wardlow rise through the ranks of that faction under the leadership of his employer; yes, MJF will definitely depose Chris Jericho as the Inner Circles’ leader sometime this year.

Wardlow is still pretty green in the ring, his moves don’t mesh together quite as well as they should and he is not yet very proficient in the art of talking like a pro wrestler. In other words, he doesn’t project his personality to the audience in a larger than life, pseudo theatrical way.

However, Wardlow possesses amazing all-around athleticism; speed, strength and agility. He can pull off breathtaking power moves with ease while also having a big enough gas-tank to hang with the smaller high-flyers and hybrid wrestlers. He is dripping in physical charisma, in other words, he doesn’t just look big, bulky and ripped; he looks damn cool too. You get the sense that there’s a sizable chunk of personality to him that can be activated once he’s gained enough big-stage experience to be put in a position that requires it.

I can see Wardlow becoming TNT Champion this year and perhaps even turning his back on MJF before 2022 rolls around. By then he will be over enough to be positioned as a star and go after the world title.

 

3. Raquel Gonzalez

The bodyguard character has been the launching pad for many a main-event talent in professional wrestling and in addition to the last entry; Raquel Gonzalez will continue that trend. Seemingly moving into the position and role that Rhea Ripley once occupied, Gonzalez’s win over ‘The Mosh Pit Kid’ seems to have confirmed that all too literally.

Ripley and Gonzalez are real-life friends, and they share many traits as wrestlers. Both have size, athleticism, presence and both are intimidating, but lately, the difference between them has become all too clear. For as much physical charisma (see last entry) that Ripley possesses, Gonzalez can express that charisma in words and attitude that Ripley can’t seem to find.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a big fan of Rhea and I saw the same star qualities and potential that everyone else did before she lost to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36. Looking back though, I think I looked past the fact that she wasn’t great at cutting promos a little too much. Despite her look and presentation, I don’t believe that Ripley was ever very good at portraying the chaotic killer that WWE wants her to as that’s not who she is. But Raquel is different: you don’t get the sense that Gonzalez is trying too hard to be a badass or intimidating, instead it seems like the role comes easy to her. There is a finesse in the way she talks, a casualness when she expresses her desire to beat up the entire Women’s division and become the champion; this serves only to heighten her believability.

It seems like WWE is realising Gonzalez’s potential and has already begun distancing her from Dakota Kai which is a smart move (though they should probably present the change on-screen in some way); Kai is no longer the star of the act that is for sure. Before the year is out, ‘Big Mami Cool’ (see, told you she would continue the bodyguard trend) will be NXT Women’s Champion and a move to RAW or Smackdown will follow soon after.

 

4. Alexander Hammerstone

How the hell is Hammerstone not signed to a big company yet? He had three tryouts for WWE and they passed on him every single time — that’s insane. This man has star aura for days, his in-ring work is smart, he sells excellently for a wrestler of his size and his matches have a clear purpose and story. He also speaks extremely well and seems to have a great mind for the business.

In the past few years, Hammerstone has mainly worked as a bullish heel on the US indie circuit and is currently signed to MLW where he has been the National Champion for almost two years; now that’s what I call a title reign. Recently he completed a gradual babyface turn which has capitalised on his great likability and allowed him to add more layers to his character.

His aspirations for 2021 include runs in WxW, Progress, WSW and Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he previously competed in the 2019 N1 Victory. In the US, continuing in MLW and wrestling in PWG seem to be the most likely possibilities. This year I can see him dethroning Jacob Fatu for the MLW World Championship and becoming a worthy cornerstone of the independent scene. In addition, if he is allowed to travel across the world to Germany, the U.K, Japan etc. like he wants to, that will only increase his stock and buzz.

By the end of 2021, he’ll be one of the most sought after unsigned talents in the world and be in a prime position to be picked up by one of the major companies in 2022, unless of course, he chooses to stick with a smaller organisation and raise it up with him; that wouldn’t surprise me.

Talents like Hammerstone are the total package (better than Lex Luger that’s for sure) and deserve to be on top of the indies and save us from the cesspool of ironic gimmicks they have become.

 

5. The Acclaimed

The Acclaimed is still most definitely a work in progress, but what a final product they will be.

‘Platinum’ Max Caster is the member that people will most likely gravitate to first. His pre-match diss track promos are already the stuff of legend; verbal burials have never been so fun. Caster oozes charisma with every movement and facial expression. We mustn’t overlook ‘The Five Tool Player’ Anthony Bowens, though. While Caster is fire on the mic he’s not the most exciting in-ring worker, but Bowens has more versatility in that area. He has pretty great fundamentals and is improving at both high flying and power moves. He’s passable on the mic too and delivers his one or two lines very well in a Billy Gunn inspired fashion.

Likability and swagger will be The Acclaimed’s best tool throughout their career. In AEW, we have tag teams like The Young Bucks and Top Flight who have amazing fast-paced matches but are pretty white-meat characters; we also have super hard-hitting and tough teams such as The Lucha Brothers and The Butcher and The Blade; The Acclaimed will be a team unlike any of those. They’ll probably never be the most admired in-ring practitioners but their characters will carry them to great heights. They are currently heels but the audience will turn them face in due course, and they won’t have to adjust their gimmick at all.

Often in modern wrestling, a team is eventually broken up if they are not brothers or don’t look identical, however, I believe The Acclaimed should be a career tag team. When all is said and done they should be remembered for how god-damn fun they were. In 2021, The Acclaimed will turn face and won’t capture the AEW World Tag Team Championship, but they will be the team that fans are most begging to win it.

 

6. ‘Absolute’ Ricky Starks

Ricky Starks is a classic professional wrestler. He works to his opponents’ strengths, he sells excellently and he doesn’t take unnecessary risks that could put his career in jeopardy. He can work both as a self-obsessed arrogant heel and a suave babyface. He moves around the ring and executes moves in a unique style all his own; something not commonly seen in today’s era of wrestling. Wrestlers are so athletic today and can pull off so many amazing moves that perhaps twisting flip dives and top-rope Spanish-flies are a little over-exposed; thus the way to differentiate yourself is to do all the little things differently.

Starks has a fairly basic move-set but his entrance, the way he works the camera, his poses, his outfits, they’re all 100% tailored to him individually. His star aura will carry him a long way but in addition, he is also capable of having fantastic matches due to the way he structures them, times his moves and then executes those moves with elegance and precision. He also speaks amazingly on the mic, with excellent flow and wit somewhat reminiscent of one Dwayne Johnson; and there are not many higher compliments than that one right there.

It has become clear that Starks is the star player of Team Taz. Brian Cage suffers from his lack of mic skills and his matches feel spotty and jagged; he’s a great placeholder title challenger but that’s kind of his ceiling. Powerhouse Hobbs’ best days are further down the line and he’s got plenty of development left to do; same with Taz’s son Hook. But Ricky Starks is the near future and in 2021 he will continue his heel run in Team Taz and cement his place as a talent who can be utilised in both the main event and upper mid-card scenes.

He will score big wins over talents in the vain of Cody Rhodes, Eddie Kingston and both of the Lucha Brothers. He may even get a challenge for the world title in the next 12 months but even if he doesn’t he will definitely be positioned as a frequent fixture in the upper card of AEW for as long as he’s in his prime.

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