Predicting AEW's Next 10 Breakout Stars
Nobody expected Eddie Kingston to be AEW's breakout star; who will be next to emerge from the pack?
2020 hasn't quite been the year that AEW fans hoped it was going to be. Coronavirus has changed the wrestling world in ways that nobody would have predicted, and a year of excitement and expected mega-pops has become a bit of a struggle. The novelty of empty arena shows wore off in double-quick time, if the novelty was ever there at all.
There have been highlights in amongst it all. AEW's big names seem to be ending the year with a flourish, but it is arguably the unexpected success stories that demand the most attention and celebration. Few would have predicted Eddie Kingston, Ricky Starks and Orange Cassidy to be three of the biggest breakout stars of AEW's year, especially considering two of those gentlemen weren't even signed when the calendar turned to 2020.
Who else is primed to smash the glass ceiling, to break out of the ranks and become an unexpected star in the world of professional wrestling? AEW has a tremendously talented roster and has a proven ability to accentuate the skills of its men and women, meaning the answer to that question might not be as simple as one first assumes.
10. Shanna
COVID-19 has put a lot of things on hold this year, including the burgeoning career of Portuguese sensation Shanna. It isn't a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, obviously, but there is a lot to love and a lot to be optimistic about when it comes to the lady from Lisbon.
Shanna's potential is clear for all to see. She is far from the finished product but then why should she be? Despite making her debut in 2006, Shanna's appearances were sporadic until recent times, with few fans being familiar with her work before her arrival in AEW in 2019. It didn't take long for fans to catch on.
One thing working against Shanna is her age. That is all relative, of course, but pro wrestling is increasingly a young person's game, not just physically but also in terms of perception. According to the ever-reliable source that is Wikipedia, Shanna is 38, a relatively advanced age for someone looking to breakout on television.
You're only as old as you feel though, and Shanna could well grow into the sort of figurehead that AEW's women's division needs.