10 Most Improved Wrestlers Of 2023

Granted, your writer has a soft spot for Juice Robinson thanks to a bangin' theme tune CJ Parker had once in NXT, but that aside, 2023 has represented such a major shift in the career of Juice.

Rock Hard's crazy man act is one you just can't take your eyes off, with his deranged facials, maniacal sh*t-talking, and unhinged body language having plenty in common with the Loose Cannon days of Brian Pillman. That's not to say Juice is merely a Pillman knock-off, mind, for the magnetic Robinson brings plenty else to the table.

Despite winning the IWGP United States Title on three occasions and being one-half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions at one point, Robinson's post-WWE time in NJPW was fairly 'meh'. Whether as a babyface or heel - complete with joining Bullet Club in 2022 - Juice's New Japan run, and his stints in ROH and IMPACT, never really gave the opinion that the Illinois native made for must-see wrestling TV.

Even when Juice signed with AEW in the second half of last year, he - along with Jay White - often felt like an afterthought, being used in non-substantial roles, throwaway matches, and being just another lost member of an exceedingly bloated AEW roster.

Thankfully, 2023 has seen Juice Robinson really come into his own, both in the ring and out, and he's another of those talents who have hugely benefited from the added exposure afforded by the launch of AEW Collision in June.