Aleister Black and 5 WWE and AEW Stars Primed for Huge Years

The wrestling industry possesses arguably the best crop of talent it ever has entering 2020, and the men and women of WWE and All Elite Wrestling are primed to take advantage of the increased exposure their companies are benefiting from en route to significant breakouts.

Aleister Black, a performer with an incredible aura and even more impressive in-ring talents is just one Superstar ready to own the first year of the new decade.

Which other WWE and AEW competitors will join the enigmatic Raw star in achieving greatness and establishing themselves among the top performers in the business this year?

Plagued by injuries and inconsistent booking in 2019, Aleister Black enters the new decade riding a wave of momentum on the back of two show-stealing matches with Buddy Murphy, including one on pay-per-view.

The former NXT champion has all of the tools need to thrive between the ropes, including a quick-strike offense and a finishing maneuver, Black Mass, that can be executed from out of nowhere. His suddenness and aura make him one of the more captivating stars on WWE television as well.

For all that he brings to the squared circle, it became rather apparent quickly that the creative team within WWE did not understand his persona, what they had to work with or how to properly convey it to the audience. Black wallowed in mediocrity throughout most of the year, shoved into a tag team with Ricochet for no other reason than they were in NXT together or stuck cutting backstage promos in which he begged someone to fight him.

Thankfully, Black finds himself on Raw, which is presided over by executive director Paul Heyman. Black is one of Heyman's projects, a star he believes in and wants to push hard in the new year. We are seeing that with the opportunities Black has received to this point and the manner in which he is being booked in competitive, hard-fought matches.

The enigmatic Superstar should remain a staple of Raw and see his star burn brighter in 2020 than it has to this point, particularly given the wealth of talent on the flagship show.

No star came more from out of nowhere to win over the AEW fans than Luchasaurus. A long-haired, bearded and tattooed heavyweight in a dinosaur mask, he captured fans' attention at May's Double or Nothing pay-per-view and since then has formed a stable with Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt known as Jurassic Express.

For a competitor as large as he is, Luchasaurus moves with the agility of a much smaller man, captivating audiences with his ability to deliver standing moonsaults or soar through the air with reckless abandon. Throw in an in-ring charisma, and it is no surprise he has managed to breakout to the extent that he has.

One cannot underestimate the power of the mask, either.

In an era when fans have seen pretty much everything there is to see, from undead undertakers to dong-flipping '70s adult film stars like Joey Ryan, Luchasaurus has managed to find something unique that fans can point to and say, "hey, that's different" and get behind. They have, and as long as the opportunities come his way, expect the big man to capitalize on his popularity in 2020 with a banner year full of success no one could have imagined upon first look at the gimmick.

The fact that we are in 2020 and discussing the idea that Drew McIntyre may finally break out is more of an indictment on WWE's creative process than anything.

The Scottish Psychopath has been ready for three years, prepared to headline and main-event the company's most prominent and prestigious shows. Instead, he has repeatedly been saddled with other Superstars, be it Dolph Ziggler or Shane McMahon, with his growth stunted for reasons that make no sense.

In a company that has long based pushes on look, there are few who appear more like a star than the Scot. At 6'5", McIntyre is an imposing, towering badass with a Claymore Kick finisher that can level anyone he shares the ring with.

As the new year begins, we are also getting a peek at the personality that exists within McIntyre, something that has not always been on display. He had the fans behind him as he discussed destroying Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins in a handicap match on the December 30 episode of Raw, with his charisma during the pre-match promo undeniable.

Like Black, McIntyre finds himself on a show headed creatively by Paul Heyman, someone with a history of getting the most out of performers. His own talents, mixed with a star-making creative genius, should help McIntyre maximize his potential and find the level of success in 2020 that has ridiculously eluded him thus far in his career.

One of the most coveted free agents in professional wrestling, Kris Statlander opted to sign with AEW, and since then, she has experienced a meteoric rise that has her in the position to become just the second women's champion in company history if she can hand Riho a loss on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite.

That match with Riho, coupled with an ongoing storyline involving Brandi Rhodes' Nightmare Collective, has her in a position to own 2020 as the face of AEW's women's division.

Statlander is a talented worker whose performances in the indys earned her the contract she received from Tony Khan's promotion. Her work in AEW has since earned her recognition as one of the company's brightest young stars.

The women's division within that particular company has been anything but consistent, though. Hopefully, that rights itself in the new year, otherwise Statlander's potential to become the breakout star and centerpiece of women's wrestling in AEW will be stunted.

Shayna Baszler's victory over Becky Lynch and Bayley in the main event of Survivor Series was a watershed moment in her career and a statement to the WWE Universe that The Queen of Spades is the future of women's wrestling in the company.

Look for that to happen sooner rather than later in 2020, with a potential singles match with Lynch looming large over WrestleMania season.

Baszler has accomplished everything in NXT. She was one of the most dominant performers that brand has ever seen as champion. She beat everyone put before her, and to take a step out of the title picture and do anything else would feel like a significant step back. Thus, the most logical move is a jump to the Raw brand, where she can break up the monotony and continue building her star while working against the likes of Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Asuka and longtime foe Kairi Sane.

If that happens, Baszler will be a champion by year's end and one of the building blocks for the next generation of women. Not to mention the catalyst for Ronda Rousey's return to the company.

There is no one in either of the two major promotions with the creativity and willingness to throw caution to the wind for the sake of entertaining than Darby Allin.

Like Mick Foley before him, Allin approaches the industry from a different perspective. He is a thinker, a creator and a risk-taker. He wants to be remembered, wants to be great and will not allow a small thing like safety get in his way of establishing his legacy.

Fans of AEW have already seen him take incredible bumps in the pursuit of victory, and while high-profile wins may have eluded him, there are few who have earned the fanbase and support the way Allin has.

His wars with Cody, Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho reflect the promise management sees in him too.

As 2020 progresses, it will be interesting to see whether Allin is finally allowed to net those big wins that elevate him and put him in a position to become a world championship contender or, at the very least, a competitor who consistently finds himself matched up with the best in the industry.

If Allin has anything to say about it, he will be or he will break himself trying.