10 Most Improved Wrestlers Of 2023

10. Big Bill

Due to his sheer size, Big Bill has always been a captivating, intriguing presence dating back to his early Colin Cassady days in NXT. When his entertaining pairing with Enzo Amore finally came to an end in 2017, it looked like the powerhouse was in line for a significant push as a monster heel, but that was unfortunately curtailed due to certain personal issues Bill himself has been very public about.

For those who watched the big fella in IMPACT as W. Morrissey, there was plenty of promise shown as he'd clearly got his life and career back on track, and that promise was expected to be capitalised on when Bill signed with AEW in August 2022. And then, well then he was just a generic goon-for-hire for Stokely Hathaway and the Firm.

Thankfully, and possibly surprisingly, Big Bill clicked extremely well when teaming up with Brian Cage, and Bill's lollipop-sucking, ass-kicking ways made for a whole bunch of fun. Even better than that pairing, though, has been Big Bill joining forces with Ricky Starks.

Starks himself has had a stunning second half of 2023, becoming a genuine main event player, and he and Big Bill have been one of the most must-see acts of the year's final few months; Bill and Absolute being two of those who've made the most of the opportunities and TV time created by the launch of AEW Collision.

Authored by Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

Posted On: 27th Nov 2023

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Kris Statlander Dominik Mysterio Tiffany Stratton