Every AEW Wrestler Ranked From Worst To Best - After One Year
18. Riho
The way AEW effectively utilises its smaller wrestlers is personified by Riho, who intelligently uses her tiny frame as an advantage against larger opposition. Evasion is her game. All quick counters and lightning escapes, she creates openings by looking for openings and striking before the close, with her many roll-up victories coming off smart rather than lucky. This is her greatest strength and she proved a ratings hit as well, with her quarter-hour numbers posting regular increases amongst younger viewers.
A lack of character development stifled her title run. In fairness, this has been a problem for almost every woman in AEW, though Riho was crowned champion before the promotion had even given viewers a chance to get to know her. This must be addressed when she returns to television.
17. Scorpio Sky
Few could have foreseen Scorpio Sky emerging as one of AEW's early breakout stars, but it happened.
It was thought that the talented veteran was in the company to play a supplementary tag role, not strike out on his own, though he shone through superior, high-effort performances every time of asking. This culminated in a shot at Chris Jericho's AEW World Championship scored on merit and popularity.
While Sky's prominence slid soon after tangling with Jericho, there's every chance AEW could heat him up again in 2020. The Empty Arena Era has brought several character vignettes charting his journey to All Elite. AEW understands his value, so perhaps there's life in his singles career yet.
16. Lance Archer
The first few weeks of the Cody vs. Lance Archer feud saw AEW do an excellent job of building their eventual match up as an important, must-see affair, though the two shows prior to Double Or Nothing 2020 were like a bucket of cold water, as the story became more about Jake 'The Snake' Roberts and Arn Anderson than their charges.
Regardless, Archer looked incredible in his squash matches, imposed his will on Dustin Rhodes in the most brutal fashion possible in this environment, and wrestled his arse off at DoN. The match itself was undone by overbooking and a divisive choice of winner, though Archer himself was excellent.
His first step after losing to Cody is more important than any other in his AEW run thus far.