First Win in 2021

It’s been said that winning isn’t everything, but a first win is memorable. Look at this past year’s storyline between Brandon Cutler and Peter Avalon as they battled for victory. That angle helped to raise the profiles of both performers and they now find themselves in the midst of respective winning streaks. Watching AEW Dark over the past year we’ve seen many recurring faces. Some of these don’t have a win to their name. I hesitate to call them “jobbers” or “enhancement talent”. Jobbers is a slightly derogatory term that strikes me as outdated. Enhancement talent implies that one is there to only make their opponent look good. The men and woman on this list are workers just like the rest of the AEW roster. They just haven’t won yet within an AEW ring. That will surely change in 2021, but who is the most likely to earn their first win?

Honorable Mentions:

For consideration on this list I’m looking at workers with at least 10 losses and zero wins (obviously). While possessing a unique look, Ryzin (0-13) is in need of something more to set him apart from the roster. Likewise Jon Cruz (0-10) has a look that implies he raided an AEW merch table before his entrance. Baron Black (0-11) is a perfectly solid worker and fits in well to any multi-man tag he finds himself in. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if all three continue their winless streaks throughout 2021.

5. Skyler Moore (0-11)

If you were building a Create-A-Wrestler for the upcoming AEW video game, Skyler Moore would be perfect for the basic starting point. I don’t mean that as a negative. She possesses the qualities for a fine pro-wrestler. However, none of said qualities rise into the exceptional.

4. Aaron Solow (0-12)

With a diverse eleven year career, Solow is one of the more experienced wrestlers on this list. It’s been alluded to that he and Ricky Starks have had interactions in the past. If anything can help a performer get a win it’s storyline potentials. At one time Will Hobbs was the guy that lost to Orange Cassidy after one punch. Now Hobbs finds himself as the member of Team Taz and working an angle with Sting. Depending on how things go, Solow could likewise be inserted into storylines with ease.

3. Shawn Dean (0-24)

“The Captain” has a character that is an instant babyface. Add to this Dean’s own charisma and you have a performer that fans can easily get behind. In BTE and other vlogs, the Best Friends have rubbed shoulders with Dean and elevated his profile. With Trent out of action for months due to a pectoral injury, could Shawn Dean find himself as a honorary Best Friend? A win’s a win, and a win via a tag team match may be Dean’s best chance.

2. Lee Johnson (0-26)

Johnson has had a few high-profile matches on Dark where he was able to show off his athleticism. His match with Ben Carter back in September was a great high-flying exhibition. Johnson is very versatile as he’s been featured in singles, tag, and even the Dynamite Battle Royal. Being able and willing to work different matches is a benefit and increases the chances of a win. It also helps that Johnson is allied with the Nightmare Factory as he could find himself an ally of QT or Dustin Rhodes in the future.

1. Fuego del Sol (0-14)

The Master of the Tornado DDT is my pick for most likely to score their first victory among the winless in AEW. It helps that he has an established finisher (even if we haven’t seen it yet). It’s been hyped up to the point where the audience will know that if Fuego connects that a pinfall is imminent. Even Ricky Starks on commentary was giddy about the potential of the move being unleashed. Fuego has some high profile support as Cody Rhodes appear to be a fan (it may just be that Cody is a fan of the mask but I digress). Across the plethora of AEW online shows Fuego has shown up to provide a bit of comedy, but also a touch of pathos as he reaches for that AEW contract. Who knows when Fuego will get his first AEW win, but this young talent is my pick to be the first among the group.