10 Incredible Wrestlers Who STILL Don't Get The Praise They Deserve

In the densely populated, super-competitive world of professional wrestling, standing out from the crowd can be tough.

Sometimes, even the most gifted of performers struggle to garner the acclaim their work deserves. From master promos to work rate kingpins to the ever sought after all-rounder, these top-tier talents are oddly underrated.

In many cases, a certain aspect of their craft is what goes unnoticed, not securing the praise it deserves. Bret Hart, for example, was a master technical wrestler but people often overlook his promo ability. While he didn’t have the humour of The Rock or the intensity of Steve Austin, Hart spoke with passion and conviction. He felt like an all too real human being in a world of cartoon characters.

Talents like this, not wholly praised for the wide array of entertainment value they provide, are as common as ever in 2021. Depending on the size of their ego, it likely ranges from mildly disappointing to wildly infuriating.

Given the years of backbreaking hard work, gruelling travel and wear and tear, a little more recognition is always going to be appreciated. Spanning several continents and wrestling promotions, these 10 masters of wrestling deserve more acclaim than they’re currently getting...

CJ Parker’s slow-burning rebirth as a hard grafting babyface underdog has been a treat to watch. If there’s one thing that has often weighed down Juice Robinson’s exceptional character development though, it’s his utterly ridiculous fashion sense.

Presented in New Japan as a brave but often outmatched eccentric, Robinson’s blunt, crude and emotional promo work is best-in-the-world calibre. Speaking with a level of realism and grit sorely lacking in many babyface acts these days (bar a certain Anxious Millennial Cowboy), it’s easy to get invested in the guy’s journey

Despite his strong connection with Japanese audiences and sterling in-ring work, Robinson has never escaped the midcard. His IWGP US title runs ultimately did little to bolster his credibility and, in 2021, he is mostly languishing in the IMPACT tag division.

While his teamwork with David Finlay is on point, it feels like a waste of someone who should be moving into main events. IMPACT could do with a few fresh babyfaces near the top of the card right now. If Robinson commits to the promotion moving forward, he would be a perfect fit.

His matches and promos with new monster champ Moose practically write themselves. As it stands, this is a charismatic, colourful character not getting the praise he deserves. Hopefully that changes in 2022.