As All Elite Wrestling enters its second calendar year in existence, the company shows a ton of promise. From the unforgettable war between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley that caused a real-life investigation to the high flying matches that are making the AEW tag division the place to be, this first year in AEW was forgettable.
That being said, there seem to be few "stars" on the roster. With AEW brimming with potential, and a new TV deal, it is time to look at which All Elite Wrestling Stars are set to break out in 2020.
Orange Cassidy
Orange Cassidy is already extremely popular with the fans, which is incredible considering he rarely wrestles matches. For the first time in history, a wrestler's lack of charisma (or will to compete for that matter) is the x-factor that has caused fans to get behind him. While Cassidy may not have the long term viability to become a world champion, if AEW ever debuts a mid-card title, he should be right in the hunt.
Shanna
Despite criticism labeling AEW's women's division as lackluster and directionless at times, international star Shanna has stood out amongst her competitors. With great matches against the likes of Hikaru Shida and Big Swole, Shanna has shown that her 14-year journey to AEW has taught her how to be a great performer. With a bitter rivalry shaping up against Nyla Rose, Shanna is looking strong. Following this feud, the sky is the limit for this Portuguese export.
Darby Allin
The 23-year-old Darby Allin has already made his mark in All Elite Wrestling. As a "first-round draft pick" so to speak, Allin shared in the first-ever time limit draw with Cody at Fyter Fest in June, a match that is considered one of the best AEW matches of the year. Since then the 5 foot 8 half-dead wrestler has been tearing it up with every opportunity he has been given. With matches against the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and a follow-up match with Cody, it's clear that the matchmakers in AEW already seen Darby Allin as a potential main event star.
Nyla Rose
"The Native Beast" has displayed her raw power at every possible turn. Laying out many major players in the women's division has earned Nyla rose a reputation for her power, but where are the results? Despite her place in the match to crown the inaugural AEW women's champion, as well as some number one contender matches, Nyla has not been in the title hunt. For a woman who is considered "a beast" based on her raw strength, a run with the title in 2020 would surely cement her as the dominant woman in the AEW women's division.
Pentagon Jr
One half of the extremely talented Lucha Bros, Pentagon Jr. has yet to be utilized extensively as a singles competitor in AEW. When they do, it is most often to drive forward a tag team storyline. It would be a remarkable transition for Pentagon Jr and Rey Fenix to split and carve their own futures as singles competitors. Pentagon Jr could have a classic match with any of the main event singles stars currently in the company.
Rey Fenix
Like his brother Pentagon Jr, Rey Fenix is an extremely talented singles competitor. Despite a lack of opportunities to showcase his singles ability, he and his brother have had a big hand in shaping AEW's tag division. As AEW enters 2020, Fenix has a chance to break out as a singles competitor and show fans that might not be familiar with him what he is all about. A match between the Lucha Bros on AEW television would be a phenomenal match no doubt worthy of match of the year consideration.
Jungle Boy
"Jungle Boy" Jack Perry is winning over the hearts of AEW fans everywhere as a member of the Jurassic Express trio alongside Luchasaurus and Mark Stunt. A solid performer in the ring, Jungle Boy's star is set to shine even brighter in 2020. Following a match with AEW World Champion Chris Jericho, a man with strong opinions on superheroes, that went to a 10-minute time limit draw, the 22-year-old is making waves. As AEW heads in 2020, Jungle Boy is primed to show the world what he is made of.
Luchasaurus
Alongside Jurassic Express team members Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt, Luchasaurus stands out physically. At 6'4 and his face covered in green, because he is a dinosaur, after all, Luchasaurus has become just as popular with the fans as his partner Jungle Boy. The agile dinosaur grappler has had impressive outings in tag contests against SCU and Best Friends, which leads one to think what might be next for him in 2020. No doubt Jurassic Express still has a lot of work to do in the tag division for 2020 and beyond, but some singles competition could be easy work for Luchasaurus.
Shawn Spears
"The Chairman" of AEW has really done little of note since clobbering Cody with a steel chair to earn his nickname. The Canadian grappler boasts over a decade of in-ring experience and brings a ton of charisma to the table. With former Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard as a manager, Spears should be running roughshod over the weaklings of AEW. Instead, he is stuck in a limbo caused by the insanely talented roster of AEW. With nothing but great talent, only the greatest will rise to the top. 2020 should be the year for "The Chairman" to remind everyone how he got his name and why he deserves his spot.
Jimmy Havoc
The British madman known as Jimmy Havoc has not really been wreaking much... havoc in AEW lately. Part of this could be due to a special contract situation that both he and Maxwell Jacob Friedman find themselves in. They both have the unique ability to work for both Major League Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling due to certain contractual technicalities. Since he was defeated by Darby Allin on the second episode of Dynamite for the number one contendership to the AEW World Championship, Havoc has not done anything remarkable. He has only wrestled a handful of regular matches, none of which were his specialty, a deathmatch. As his MLW contract obligations are fulfilled and the new year brings new storylines to AEW, this could be the chance for Jimmy Havoc to reign down his special brand of chaos.