2020: 5 best AEW male superstars of the year
AEW entered Year 2 of their promotion in 2020 with plenty of momentum. After being the talk of professional wrestling in 2019, this year would give the company a full year of AEW Dynamite and four traditional pay-per-views. The AEW World Championship was established as one of the most prestigious titles in the business, but 2020 would also give the performers more prizes to obtain.
The TNT Championship introduced a secondary title that was not always used in the same way as the Intercontinental or United States Titles are presented in WWE. As Cody Rhodes calls it "the Ace Title", this championship helped to put a spotlight on underutilized talent and brought top independent stars into the promotion.
These two top titles, along with high profile feuds, helped bolster the singles division. In this article, let's take a look at the top five best male superstars in AEW for 2020.
Honorable mentions:
- Hangman Page
- Brodie Lee
- Eddie Kingston
#5 Orange Cassidy - AEW superstar
No one took a bigger step in notoriety and popularity in AEW this year than Orange Cassidy. Starting as the aloof side act of Best Friends, Cassidy only had spurts of excellence to start off his time in the promotion. However, this year became a time of discovery for fans, that there was a lot more to this hands in pockets character.
At AEW Revolution, Orange Cassidy nearly stole the show against PAC. His in-ring singles debut became a showcase of the overwhelming skills that Orange had. PAC made a fantastic foil to his character, and Cassidy's comeback brought the most electric reaction outside of the main event and tag team scene that the promotion heard all year.
Orange's standout feud of the year had to be his clashes and interactions with Chris Jericho. The comedy and timing of these two men's exchanges brought a new level of investment into who Cassidy was. Their debate with Eric Bischoff as moderator was the highlight of their promos with one another.
Their matches varied from fine to great with their initial encounter at AEW Fyter Fest Night 2 being the best of the bunch. The fire that Cassidy brought in these matches added layers to his character. His victory over "Le Champion" in a Mimosa Mayhem Match at All Out showed the fans that Orange was a star on the rise for the company and that he stands as a breakout star in 2020.