10 AEW Stars That Are Bad Wrestlers (But Great Sports Entertainers)

Sports entertainment is a phrase first used by Vince McMahon to differentiate the WWE from all other wrestling companies, famously telling WCW owner, Ted Turner, they were not in competition as Vince promoted sports entertainment, not professional wrestling. Sports entertainment fit the late 80's/early 90's WWE, with the majority of the performers portraying vocational gimmicks like The Big Boss Man or The Undertaker, forgoing the traditional trunks or tights for outfits. When Tony Khan first founded All Elite Wrestling in 2019, he stated he was going to be a pro wrestling company, and while no one can argue the format of the show leans a lot more into matches than the entertainment side of pro wrestling, many on the AEW roster would be better suited to less in-ring time and more time on the microphone. Look at any of the top-level performers over the last 3 decades and you will find the most successful of these talents were not only good pro wrestlers but fantastic sports entertainers. Here are 10 AEW wrestlers who are great sports entertainers, but not very good wrestlers.

10 Danhousen

Danhousen has one of the most unique gimmicks in modern wrestling, portraying a very nice, very evil demonic character with an unnatural obsession for teeth. Before signing for AEW, Danhousen's striking look and comedy timing, along with his in gimmick YouTube videos, had garnered him a cult following, signing for Ring Of Honor before an injury took months off his career. Since debuting in AEW, Danhousen has very much been a peripheral character adding comedy relief to shows, which is where he is used best, as sadly his character work far exceeds his wrestling ability.

9 Brian Cage

Making his debut in January 2020 as a member of Team Taz, Brian cage came into AEW on the back of the most successful run of his career in Impact Wrestling, and after failing to win gold was given the FTW title by his manager, Taz. Cage's huge frame and athleticism should have made him a star at the highest level in pro wrestling, but unfortunately for Cage, he never learned just because you can do something, doesn't mean you need to, instead embracing the criticism, having the initials, GYSI (get your sh-t in) on his trunks.

8 Anna Jay

After a couple of early losses in AEW, Anna Jay was recruited by Mr. Brodie Lee into the Dark Order and more recently joined best friend, Tay Melo, in the Jericho Appreciation Society. Joining a group of 'sports entertainers' seems the perfect fit for Anna, as her in-ring work is very basic, yet she has a presence on camera. Fortunately for Anna, she has youth on her side, joining AEW just over a year into her wrestling career, and has the potential to become one of the top women in AEW over the coming years.

7 Brandon Cutler

Brandon Cutler is a lifelong friend of The Young Bucks, wrestling with them in their own backyard federation as teenagers before going pro. Brandon never reached the level of success as his childhood friends, instead working the under-cards on small indie shows. When the Bucks became EVPs for AEW, Cutler was one of the first wrestlers to be given the "is all elite" treatment, wrestling mainly on AEW Dark. However, Cutler has become a fixture on AEW TV, playing into his real-life friendship with the Bucks, acting as their stooge, a role Cutler plays to perfection.

6 Luchasaurus

It should come as no surprise that a man pretending to be a dinosaur makes it into this list, and Luchasaurus as one-half of the former tag team champions, Jurassic Express, with Jungle Boy, certainly got his gimmick over. His size and athleticism assured he was one of the best hot tags in AEW, cleaning house after a beaten Jungle Boy finally made it to his corner. But other than the few moves he does well, Luchasaurus hasn't got much else going for him. Hopefully working with a legendary worker like Christian Cage will see Luchasaurus improve his psychology in the ring.

5 Jade Cargill

Jade Cargill has IT, whatever IT is, that intangible quality that elevates a performer above their peers. Her striking physique and confidence on camera make people notice her before she even steps foot in a wrestling ring. Cargill is being built and pushed much like Goldberg was in his early WCW run with an unbeaten record of squash matches, and like Goldberg, is very limited with what she can do. Behind the scenes Cargill looks to improve her in-ring abilities, training with Bryan Danielson and the BCC.

4 Peter Avalon

Peter Avalon is often underappreciated by AEW fans, mainly being showcased on Dark, while his TV time is usually bumping for the stars of the show as part of the Wing Men faction of enhancement talent. His diminutive size and unmeaning look means Avalon is never likely to be given a strong push, yet his overselling and exaggerated facial expressions ensure Pretty Peter pops the live crowd every time he takes a bump.

3 Eddie Kingston

Eddie Kingston is without a doubt one of the best promos in not only AEW, but all of pro wrestling, portraying emotion in his words unlike anybody else. What makes Eddie so relatable is that we all have a little Eddie Kingston in us, fighting our own demons every day, and not always winning, and the article Eddie wrote for the Players Tribune formed a connection with the fans only a select few have enjoyed. Eddie's in-ring style is heavily influenced by the Kings Road style of All Japan Pro Wrestling, relying more on chop exchanges and throws rather than actual wrestling.

2 Chuck Taylor

One half of the Best Friends tag team, and an AEW original, Chuck Taylor has had a near 2-decade wrestling career without ever breaking out of the independent scene. A handful of TNA appearances were his only USA TV exposure before signing with AEW. Taylor's work leans very heavily into the entertainment side while his partner Trent is the more capable in the ring and usually carries their matches. Chuck started his career as a serious character but after being a stand-out in Chikara's sister promotion, Wrestling Is Fun, Taylor has embraced the sports entertainment side of wrestling.

1 Rebel

Rebel first rose to prominence in AEW when Britt Baker was out with a leg injury, using Rebel to push her around as she built up her heel character, a role Rebel played so well she has become a permanent fixture in Britt's entourage. Working in the traditional valet role for another woman instead of a male competitor, Rebel has made herself integral to Britt Baker's act, often distracting the referee or Britt's opponent to enable the former Women's champion to add to her impressive list of victories. As a wrestler, Rebel never reached the highs her career is currently enjoying, partaking in the worst match in the history of Impact Wrestling.