Ranking WWE and AEW's Best New Additions of 2020

With a global pandemic taking up most of the year, 2020 has left a lot of industries in a state of uncertainty, including pro wrestling.

WWE and All Elite Wrestling, two companies that started off the year touring arenas with thousands of fans in attendance every week, are now holding shows with zero or few people in the stands.

The number of people who have been signed to new contracts has dropped significantly compared to recent years, but both promotions have brought in a handful of fresh faces in 2020.

Most of WWE's signings have been developmental talents, while AEW has added several new names to its roster who now appear on television regularly.

Let's look back at some of the best hires from the past 12 months and rank them based on what they have brought to their respective companies since signing on the dotted line. 

7. Mercedes Martinez

After appearing in the Mae Young Classic tournament in 2018, Mercedes Martinez was finally signed to a WWE contract in January.

She was originally going to be part of Retribution on Raw and even appeared in a few segments under a mask, but WWE ultimately decided to put her back in NXT.

Martinez recently made a statement by attacking Io Shirai on the December 23 episode of NXT. It looks like WWE is putting her right into the hunt for the NXT Women's Championship.

Not only has she proved herself to be a great wrestler with an intimidating presence, but Martinez has a level of experience many of WWE's new hires don't. She is a 20-year veteran who has battled some of the best the business has produced over the last two decades.

She hasn't had enough time to develop herself in WWE yet but once she is given a few promos and some high-profile matches, everybody will see why Martinez deserves to finally be with the biggest promotion in the world. 

6. Dominik Mysterio

Dominik Mysterio was able to get a WWE contract and jump right to the main roster in a feud with Seth Rollins alongside his father, Rey Mysterio, and he has stepped up and produced some fantastic moments and matches since joining the WWE roster.

The 23-year-old is not donning a mask like his father, but he has adopted many of Rey's signature moves and been able to perform them well.

Dominik probably needs more work and should put in some time in NXT before he ends up being given a major push, but he has done remarkably well considering the kind of pressure he was under to perform.

He is the son of a living legend and a new face in the business. He is going to be judged and scrutinized more than the average rookie based on those two facts alone. He has taken every opportunity, and the same cannot be said about everybody who has stepped into a WWE ring.

With time, Dom could become a huge WWE star, but it is going to take a lot of hard work to get him there. 

5. All of Team Taz

A lot of people like to talk about how pro wrestlers are smaller than they used to be. For some reason, people get upset that they aren't as tall or muscular as the main event stars of the past.

One person who looks like he would have fit right in during the '80s and '90s with all of the other giants is Will "Powerhouse" Hobbs.

His size is just one asset he brings to the table. Hobbs also has speed and agility hidden under all of those muscles, allowing him to keep up with the smaller guys.

Joining Team Taz will give Hobbs more time on television and allow him to grow alongside Brian Cage and Ricky Starks as they learn from The Human Suplex Machine.

Speaking of Starks and Cage, both of them have been so much fun to watch in 2020. Cage's unique athleticism allows him to do things other guys his size simply can't, and Starks is just so good at being a heel that you can't help but respect him.

Together, Team Taz is a trio that could be a top act in 2021 with the right booking and a few key wins. With Taz as their mouthpiece, they are in a good position heading into the new year. 

4. Serena Deeb

Serena Deeb is the current NWA women's champion, but she is also signed to an AEW contract.

The former member of CM Punk's Straight-Edge Society has given AEW fans some incredible matches, especially when it comes to her encounters with Thunder Rosa.

She has amazing technical ability, great instincts and better striking than most. She is the total package, and the fact that it took this long for a major promotion to feature her so heavily feels like a huge oversight.

Deeb is the kind of talent who elevates everyone around her. She has spent time training others at the WWE Performance Center and can use those experiences to help the young women in AEW as they learn and grow over time. 

3. FTR

Not every Superstar who leaves WWE is going to end up in AEW, but when Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler departed earlier this year, it was obvious where they would end up.

They have been toying around with a feud with The Young Bucks on social media for years. When it was finally time for the two tag teams to meet in the ring, expectations were as high as could be.

With Tully Blanchard as their manager, Harwood and Wheeler won the AEW tag titles from Adam Page and Kenny Omega before dropping them to the Bucks in what was one of AEW's biggest matches to date.

FTR's technical ability is second to none. They can help some of the other younger duos on the roster when it comes to honing their skills on the mat, especially the teams that focus solely on high-flying spots.

2. Eddie Kingston

Eddie Kingston is not a powerhouse cut from granite. He is not a high-flyer, a pretty boy or a giant. However, he is one of the most talented talkers in the entire industry and the realest person in AEW.

Kingston is not playing a gimmick like a lot of wrestlers. When he gives promos about grinding for 18 years and being overlooked, that comes from his real experience in the business. 

Every word he says is convincing. The context of the promos may be fictional, but there is nothing fake about the passion he exudes.

In the ring, Kingston is a brawler who can also grapple on the mat if he needs to. His journey to a major promotion finally came to an end in 2020. Now, he needs to win the world title in 2021. 

1. Brodie Lee

Jon Huber's sudden death shocked the wrestling world on December 26. The man known as Luke Harper in WWE and Mr. Brodie Lee in All Elite Wrestling was only 41 years old and appeared to be at the top of his game. His loss was felt across the industry by everyone from the biggest stars to referees and production staff. 

He won the TNT Championship from Cody Rhodes in one of the most decisive victories of his career on August 22 and took The Dark Order to new heights as its leader. It looked like AEW would book him as a top talent moving forward. 

Huber left WWE on his own terms and bet on himself to succeed because he knew how talented he was. 

He was a big man who moved like somebody 50 pounds lighter, and that changed the way a lot of people thought about what a big guy was supposed to do in the ring. 

The incredible amount of tributes by his fellow workers and friends show just how loved and admired he was in and out of the ring. It's never easy to mourn somebody who dies, especially when it is sudden and unexpected. All we can do as fans is remember him as the performer he was and hope his influence leaves a lasting impression on the industry he clearly loved with all of his heart.