10 Most Underrated Wrestlers Of 2023
1. Athena
There are few wrestlers earning more critical acclaim in online wrestling media circles than (as of writing) ROH Women's Champion Athena, but being marooned on Honor Club has put something on a ceiling on her wider visibility.
With her minion-in-training Billie Starkz (and backstage interviewer Lexi Nair) now months into a story that will probably result in Starkz going over her for the title, the former Ember Moon has done everything she can to make this well-regarded period count. Initially an enjoyable but one dimensional bully heel, she's pivoted to becoming more and more paranoid - hence the abusive hold she continues to keep over her devotee.
The central angle alone isn't the sole reason for her success - she'll average out at more than one match a week in 2023, building both the reps and the reputation of a Champion pro wrestler even as a figure of the ostensible third or fourth major US brand. A return to AEW television in 2024 seems inevitable, though she's created a world far better than the one crafted for the women on Dynamite and Collision.