50 Best Wrestlers Of The 2020s (So Far)

30. Jamie Hayter

WWE Night Of Champions 2025 Cody Rhodes King Of The Ring
AEW

Jamie Hayter became one of the most respected wrestlers of the 2020s thanks to her no-nonsense intensity, snug striking style, and meteoric rise in AEW. 

Initially introduced as a bodyguard for Britt Baker, Hayter evolved into a breakout star, capturing the AEW Women’s World Championship and redefining what a top-tier women's match in the company could look like.

What sets Hayter apart is her realism. She wrestles like every blow counts, channeling a style reminiscent of classic All Japan – all lariats, suplexes, and grit. Her 2022-2023 run was filled with standout performances, particularly in singles and tags opposite competing ace Toni Storm. Their bouts combined brutality with emotional storytelling, showing Hayter as both a punishing powerhouse and a sympathetic figure in her own right. A clash with Hikaru Shida on a December 2022 edition of Dynamite was another highlight – a fierce, fast-paced war that many fans consider one of the best women's TV matches in AEW history. The crowd was white hot, and Hayter’s selling and timing elevated it beyond even the highest expectations.

Beyond her matches, Hayter's rise felt organic. Fans rallied behind her not because of heavy booking, but because of her authenticity and presence. She was tough, cool, and real – a wrestler’s wrestler who earned every cheer. Even after being sidelined by injury in mid-2023, anticipation for her 2024 return remained sky-high. 2025's seen mixed results between the ropes on account of her character not exactly rising right back to the top of the card and other injuries pausing play, but the credit in the bank she'd built up beforehand will power a renewed push sooner or later. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett