#TheChris100 2020: #90-81

The first part of the list dropping was fun. I think it would be cool if we released more names.

90. Giulia (5 ballots, 120 points, average rank 27)

High Vote: Son of Mecha Mummy (14)
 

Recommended Matches:
w/ Maika vs. Hana Kimura & Jungle Kyona (Stardom, 3/8)
vs. Mayu Iwatani (Stardom, 8/8)
vs. Tam Nakano (Stardom, 9/13)
vs. Konami (Stardom, 11/15)
vs. Syuri (Stardom, 12/20)

"Love love love Giulia" ~Anonymous
 

89. Kento Miyahara (3 ballots, 121 points, average rank 14.66667)

High Vote: Wild Kunt (3)
 

Recommended Matches:
vs. Jake Lee (AJPW, 1/3)
vs. Yuma Aoyagi (AJPW, 2/11)
vs. Suwama (AJPW, 3/23)
w/ Akira Francesco vs. Isami Kodaka & Yuko Miyamoto (AJPW, 4/30)
vs. Zeus (AJPW, 10/5)
 

88. Maki Itoh (4 ballots, 124 points, average rank 20)
High Vote: Kevin (14)
 

Recommended Matches:
vs. Hikari Noa (TJPW, 1/4)
vs. Thunder Rosa (TJPW, 1/5)
vs. Mizuki (TJPW, 8/29)
w/ Mizuki vs. Shoko Nakajima & Yuka Sakazaki (TJPW, 9/21)
w/ Sareee vs. Aja Kong & Miyu Yamashita (TJPW, 11/7)

"Itoh's a veteran of several years at this point and already had a cult following for her Twitter account, but 2020 is the year where she really came into her own as a worker. Literally from the start of the year with her matches against Hikari Noa and Thunder Rosa, Itoh was on fire throughout the year in Tokyo Joshi Pro. Her hard work's paid off as she seems poised to blow up more overseas working with AEW this coming year." ~Chris Gibbons

 
87. Hirooki Goto (6 ballots, 124 points, average rank 30.33333)
High Vote: BlodN (11)
 

Recommended Matches:
vs. KENTA (NJPW, 1/5)
w/ Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL & Shingo Takagi (NJPW, 1/6)
vs. Tetsuya Naito (NJPW, 9/29)
vs. YOSHI-HASHI (NJPW, 10/8)
w/ YOSHI-HASHI vs. David Finlay & Juice Robinson (NJPW, 12/6)

"Calling Hirooki Goto underrated is like saying that water is wet and grass is green at this point. Goto didn't have his best campaign in 2020, but he once again had plenty to show at age 40 as a midcarder in New Japan. Any hope of Goto as a top guy has basically been destroyed at this point, but he's still one of the most reliable hands on the NJPW roster. While I rarely recommend New Japan's tag division, Goto's run with YOSHI-HASHI towards the end of the year stands out as particularly fun. Two guys who give their all that deserve more credit than they get in their booking." ~Chris Gibbons

86. Big Chico Che (5 ballots, 126 points, average rank 25.8)
High Vote: Kevin (11)
 

Recommended Matches:
w/ Big Mike & Big Ovett vs. Carta Brava Jr., Cerebro Negro & El Fantasma de la Opera (Lucha Libre Boom, 2/2)

w/ Big Mike & Big Ovett vs. Dr. Karonte Jr,. El Hijo de Dr. Karonte & Fresero Jr. (AAA, 2/21)
w/ Big Mike & Big Ovett vs. Capo del Norte, Demonio Infernal & X-Fly (IWRG, 3/1)
w/ Big Ovett vs. Demonio Infernal & Fresero Jr. (IWRG, 9/13)
w/ Big Ovett & El Hijo de Canis Lupus vs. Fresero Jr., Heddi Karaoui & El Hijo del Espectro (IWRG, 10/18)

"If you're the best wrestler in the best stable in the world you can bet you're making the list. Ovett sadly left us this past year so Strippers BIG is no more, but they were a blast while they were active and Chico Che was the best worker of the three, bleeding heavily and throwing punches like in his 2010-2011 IWRG years and being a great comedy act." ~Damian

"Los Strippers Big was maybe my favorite act in all of wrestling in 2020, and while the late Big Ovett was the heart of the trio, Chico Che was often the glue guy in the ring. Chico Che is one of the world's best bleeders and always delivered whether it was a gimmicky comedy match or a bloody brawl around the arena (and in the best cases, both in the same match)." ~Chris Gibbons

 85. Low Ki (4 ballots, 128 points, average rank 19.5)
High Vote: Luke (7)
 

Recommended Matches:
vs. Masashi Takeda (ICW NHB, 1/4)
vs. King Mo (MLW, 2/1)
vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (MLW, 12/2)
vs. Richard Holliday (MLW, 12/9)
vs. Tom Lawlor (MLW, 12/23)

"Low Ki is somebody who already picks and chooses his bookings at this point, so Covid shutting down wrestling for so many months hurt the amount of tape he made even more. Fortunately he still does give killer effort whenever he does make the air. He may only have had a handful of matches in 2020, but the Takeda match and Opera Cup run are as crucial as anything else from last year" ~Chris Gibbons

84. Violento Jack (5 ballots, 128 points, average rank 25.4)
High Vote: Smoldoink (15)
 

Recommended Matches:
vs. Alex Colon (GCW, 2/3)
w/ Mammoth Sasaki vs. Chris Dickinson & Matthew Justice (FREEDOMS, 2/10)
w/ Takashi Sasaki & Toru Sugiura vs. Daisuke Masaoka, Jun Kasai & Masashi Takeda (FREEDOMS, 6/10)
vs. Daisuke Masaoka (FREEDOMS, 7/28)
w/ Mammoth Sasaki vs. GENTARO & Tatsuhito Takaiwa (FREEDOMS, 11/10)
 

83. Dick Togo (5 ballots, 129 points, average rank 25.2)

High Vote: Lao Tzu (11)
 

Recommended Matches:
vs. ASUKA (YMZ, 1/1)
vs. Hao (NOAH, 1/10)
vs. Kotaro Suzuki (NOAH, 1/25)
vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (NOAH, 1/30)
vs. Daisuke Harada (NOAH, 1/30)
 

"The vast majority of Dick Togo's 2020 output was in New Japan as EVIL's enforcer in Bullet Club, and while many of the tag matches he's been a part of have been solid, his output in the first half of the year (and even more specifically, the first month) is what got him on this list. Togo showed up to NOAH's Global Junior League and had great match after great match, culminating in a masterclass with Daisuke Harada in the tournament's final. Togo had more great matches just in the month of January than many wrestlers had all year. He probably could've hung up the boots after the Harada match and still made this list. While I'm okay with Togo collecting checks in a low-key role in New Japan, I do hope in 2021 we still get some glimpses like that which show Togo's still one of the absolute best in the world even in his 50's." ~Chris Gibbons

"One of Nosawa's big surprises for Sugiura-gun, Dick Togo had a few great matches in the NOAH Junior Global League. In one day he had a very good short match with Yoshinari Ogawa, and the tournament final against Daisuke Harada was still among 2020's best by the end of the year. Those matches, along with a match against ASUKA in YMZ, gave off the impression that he was poised to have a special 2020. Then he got scooped up by NJPW and placed in countless tag matches with SANADA. Regardless, his work in January was still enough to match him up to anyone else." ~Lao Tzu

82. Psycho Clown (4 ballots, 130 points, average rank 22.5)

High Vote: Michael Stocks (2)
 

Recommended Matches:
w/ Fenix & Pentagon Jr. vs. La Bestia del Ring, LA Park & Rush (AAA, 1/25)
vs. Chessman (AAA, 5/9)
vs. Pentagon Jr. (AAA, 5/9)
vs. Chessman vs. Texano Jr. (AAA, 11/1)
w/ Monsther Clown & Murder Clown vs. Blue Demon Jr., El Hijo de LA Park & LA Park (AAA, 12/12)

"Shutdowns may have prevented us from truly enjoying the triumphant return of Los Psycho Circus, but the ace of AAA still often made the most of his opportunities whenever AAA found a way to do tapings. Few wrestlers in all the world have the presence of Psycho Clown, and if AAA can get a more consistent schedule with restrictions loosening, he'll place a lot higher on this list next year." ~Chris Gibbons

81. Pagano (7 ballots, 130 points, average rank 32.42857)
High Vote: Sol (17)
 

Recommended Matches:
w/ Monsther Clown & Murder Clown vs. La Bestia del Ring, LA Park & Rush (AAA, 2/22)
w/ El Hijo del Vikingo & Monsther Clown vs. Averno, Chessman & Super Fly (AAA/BRB, 3/14)
vs. Chessman (AAA, 5/2)
vs. Eric Ryan (ICW NHB, 8/8)
vs. Chessman (AAA, 12/12)

"Chessman vs. Pagano was one of the premier feuds of 2020, even when any sort of in-ring build-up had to stall for months at a time. A large part of the feud's success is owed to Pagano, one of the truest freaks in all of wrestling. There's no shortage of wrestlers who could be described as having a 'death wish." It's one of the sport's biggest cliches. But Pagano is the sort of wrestler that truly makes you believe that he will do anything to his body if it means inflicting pain on his opponent. A truly special luchador." ~Chris Gibbons