10 Biggest Secret GENIUSES In Modern Wrestling
Giving galaxy brained grapplers their well-earned flowers.
Though a collaborative business, wrestling will always be defined by its top stars. Whether these are the company-pushed faces who do the talkshow circuit and increase the sport’s reach or the critical darlings who rack up five star matches, in any given era it’s always easy enough to discern who sits atop the mountain.
Flying under the radar, though, are their contemporaries whose wrestling acumen, creativity, and ability to develop themselves often goes underrated. These are the superstars who might not be competing for parts in Hollywood blockbusters, but whose deep understanding of the business means they’re a joy to watch, and essential parts of any good promotion.
From performers with wild ideas no one else could dream of to those who’ve honed their craft over time, workers pushing their brand or lifting up the rest of the roster alike, these wrestlers have some of the most exciting brains in the business.
They may never get the plaudits they deserve, holding belts for record breaking reigns or topping industry polls, but if you want fresh ideas in an industry frequently crying out for them, these are your guys.
10. Penta El Zero Miedo
The Lucha Brothers are one of the best tag teams around at the moment, and with his breathlessly creative high flying style, Rey Fenix often takes the lion’s share of attention. The glue, however, is often older brother Penta, whose mask and moveset belies one of the most fundamentally sound performers in AEW and beyond.
The best of seven series between Death Triangle and The Elite was, unsurprisingly, built primarily on wild spots and chaos, but in the midst of the madness, Penta’s character work was something to behold. Corrupted by PAC, the Lucha brother turned hammer brother, turning to the dark side in increments and attempting to drag his white-clad sibling along with him. It’s a shame, once the series ended, they didn’t push this further.
Penta can play light or dark without really shifting much in his persona, and is just at home exchanging madcap superkick sequences with the Bucks or bloodletting with Jon Moxley.
He has become one of the most popular stars on the roster while remaining ultimately unknowable, not to mention anonymous outside of the ring. It takes a rare level of physical charisma to pull that off.