#TheChris100 2020: #70-61

the chris 100

70. Demonio Infernal (4 ballots, 138 points, average rank 18)

High Vote: Jon (5)

Recommended Matches

w/ Corsario Negro Jr., Drako & Fresero Jr. vs. Akuma, Ciclope, Demus & Miedo Extremo (Lucha Strong, 2/15)

w/ Capo del Norte & X-Fly vs. Big Chico Che, Big Mike & Big Ovett (IWRG, 3/1)

w/ Fresero Jr. vs. Dragon Bane & El Hijo de Canis Lupus (IWRG, 11/1)

w/ Fresero Jr. vs. Crazy King & Miedo Extremo (Vanguardia, 11/21)

w/ Fresero Jr. vs. El Hijo de Angel & El Hijo de Fishman (Lucha Libre Boom, 12/5)

"Demonio worked an alarming number of matches in a pandemic year. Seriously, it was too much. He didn't have a big singles match, but he worked a lot in tags and trios, especially with Fresero Jr. against a variety of opponents. In very fun, violent brawls where people bleed, he did dives and all that good stuff you want in those matches." ~Damian

"Demonio Infernal might be Mexico MVP just based on amount worked. I agree with Damian that it was probably too much considering it was a pandemic year and lucha promotions were shut down for most of the year. But he was working a ridiculous degree even before things shut down. Somehow Demonio Infernal managed to put up a hell of a resume as a great trios and tag worker despite a lot fewer opportunities being available. He and Fresero Jr. were on a ridiculous tear in IWRG and the lucha indies at the year's end. Hell of a bleeder, hell of a spot wrestler, hell of a fun resume to dive into." ~Chris Gibbons

69. Nick Gage (5 ballots, 140 points, average rank 23)

High Vote: Chris Gibbons (12)

Recommended Matches

vs. Allie Kat (GCW, 1/18)

vs. Matthew Justice (GCW, 1/24)

vs. Rickey Shane Page (GCW, 2/15)

vs. Kevin Lee Davidson (Glory Pro, 3/1)

vs. 1 Called Manders (GCW, 3/19)

"Nick Gage is a wrestler who would've placed a lot higher on this list for circumstances out of his control. That's not necessarily because of Covid-19, but because of a year-ending injury that took him out of commission just as indie shows started running again. He was GCW's MVP and one of the best on the indies period until he went down. His matches might be a bit formulaic at this point in his return run, but it's a formula that works. His presence is otherworldly. He's one of the best brawlers out there whether or not it's a deathmatch. Injury might have kept him from a top 50 year, but I think being the Nicest wrestler of the year works for him." ~Chris Gibbons

68. El Desperado (6 ballots, 142 points, average rank 27.33333)
High Vote: Corey (15)

Recommended Matches:

w/ DOUKI vs. Taichi & TAKA Michinoku (JTO, 1/14)

vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW, 6/16)

vs. Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW, 11/18)

vs. DOUKI (NJPW, 11/29)

vs. Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW, 12/11)

67. Tsukasa Fujimoto (4 ballots, 144 points, average rank 15) – HIGHEST RANKED FOUR BALLOT WRESTLER

High Vote: MikeyCC (13)

Recommended Matches:

w/ Arisa Nakajima vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto & Yoshiko (SEAdLINNNG, 8/26)

w/ Arisa Nakajima & Rina Yamashita vs. Ayame Sasamura, Hiroyo Matsumoto & Yuu (SEAdLINNNG, 9/24)

vs. Saori Anou (Ice Ribbon, 10/3)

w/ Arisa Nakajima vs. Ayame Sasamura & Yuu (SEAdLINNNG, 11/4)

w/ Arisa Nakajima vs. Sareee & Yoshiko (SEAdLINNNG, 11/27)

66. Mr. Brodie Lee (5 ballots, 146 points, average rank 21.8)

High Vote: Brandon from Maine (11)

Recommended Matches:

vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 5/23)

w/ Colt Cabana, Evil Uno, Five, Nine & Stu Grayson vs. Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood, Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW, 7/30)

vs. Dustin Rhodes (AEW, 9/9)

vs. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 9/23)

vs. Cody (AEW, 10/7)

"I've had a lot of fun making this list, but as soon as I started writing up this entry, my hands started shaking. Brodie Lee is one of my favorite wrestlers. He was a wrestler who could make anything work. He gave heft to silly gimmicks like the Wyatt Family and the Bludgeon Brothers in WWE. When I got into the indies, going back and watching his stuff in Chikara, CZW and ROH was some of my favorite stuff. I was so thrilled when he signed with AEW. As Mr. Brodie Lee, head of the Dark Order, he once again turned a silly gimmick into gold. He had very fun stuff with Moxley, Dustin and Cody. Brodie seemed poised for the main event run that his biggest fans always knew he had in him. Then he was taken from us the day after Christmas, after dealing with an unknown illness.

It's just not fair. He was only 41. By all accounts, Brodie Lee was a kind man and a wonderful father. He loved wrestling, but he loved his family more. He was a great wrestler, but when he passed everybody just wanted to talk about how great of a person he was. How loved he was.

This is a poll about in-ring work. Things outside the ring aren't supposed to be considered. But I don't think talking about just how special and loved Brodie Lee was outside of the ring takes away from that, because he showed it in the ring every night. He gave everything 100% all the time. That's why he was so fun on the indies. It's why he turned so much bullshit into gold in WWE, even when Vince kept him on the undercard because he couldn't do a southern accent or whatever. And it's why his 2020 run in AEW, however brief it was, is one of the best runs in wrestling of the year. Rest easy, Mr. Brodie Lee." ~Chris Gibbons

65. "The Bastard" PAC (5 ballots, 146 points, average rank 22.6)
High Vote: Corey (6)

Recommended Matches:

vs. Darby Allin (AEW, 1/15)

vs. Jon Moxley (AEW, 1/21)

vs. Kenny Omega (AEW, 2/26)

vs. Orange Cassidy (AEW, 2/29)

w/ Rey Fenix vs. The Butcher & The Blade (AEW, 11/19)

64. Saori Anou (6 ballots, 147 points, average rank 27)
High Vote: Dakota (13)

Recommended Matches:

vs. Saki Akai (DDT, 5/16)

vs. Mayumi Ozaki (OZ Academy, 8/28)

vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto (Ice Ribbon, 10/3)

vs. Sareee (OZ Academy, 12/3)

vs. Suzu Suzuki (Ice Ribbon, 12/31)

"I didn't watch nearly enough of Saori's 2020, but every time I checked in with her work I was thoroughly impressed. That's especially true of the Ozaki match, where she gives a fantastic babyface performance in one of the most spectacularly brutal matches of 2020. Despite Ozaki torturing her, and the odds thoroughly against her with OZ Academy's crooked refs, she tried to persevere through the cruelty. She may not have overcome it, but that fighting back in the face of all kinds of adversity is what wrestling is all about." ~Chris Gibbons

63. Jay White (6 ballots, 149 points, average rank 26.16667)

High Vote: BlodN (15)

Recommended Matches:

vs. Tetsuya Naito (NJPW, 1/4)

vs. Shingo Takagi (NJPW, 9/19)

vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW, 10/13)

vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW, 10/16)

vs. Kota Ibushi (NJPW, 11/7)
 

62. Toxin (5 ballots, 151 points, average rank 21.2)

High Vote: Chris Gibbons (7)

Recommended Matches:

w/ Dragon Bane & El Hijo de Canis Lupus vs. Piloto Suicida Jr., Rafaga Jr. & Rocky Star Jr. (915-656, 1/12)

vs. Jonathan (Lucha Libre Tijuanense, 2/9)

vs. Psicosis (Lucha Memes, 4/5)

vs. Puma de Oro (IWRG, 8/30)

vs. The Tiger (IWRG, 11/29)

"Toxin didn't have as many matches as other indie luchadores like Demonio Infernal in 2020, but he still seemed like he was always ever-present at whatever grimy indie lucha promotions did say "fuck it" to any shutdowns and ran. That makes a lot of sense for Toxin, a truly great high flyer who takes any beauty from his style and soaks it in blood and glass. Toxin benefitted from getting more singles matches than a lot of his peers, having two of the year's best against Jonathan and The Tiger, as well as an incredible feud with Puma de Oro in IWRG. Toxin was one of the luchadores that got me hooked on indie lucha a few years ago, and though his star has certainly risen since then, he can't keep himself away from the blood and guts. A wrestler that always feels like appointment watching because you never know what insane bullshit he'll do next." ~Chris Gibbons

61. Miyu Yamashita (5 ballots, 152 points, average rank 23.8)
High Vote: Kevin (2)

Recommended Matches:

vs. Yuka Sakazaki (TJPW, 1/4)

vs. Natsumi Maki (TJPW, 1/25)

vs. Shoko Nakajima (TJPW, 8/29)

w/ Aja Kong vs. Maki Itoh & Sareee (TJPW, 11/7)

vs. Maki Itoh (TJPW, 12/19)