The Miz and the Most Unsung Heroes in WWE and AEW
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An unsung hero in professional wrestling can best be described as a performer who puts in the work, holds down the fort and frequently delivers quality even when the spotlight may not necessarily be on them.
They are the glue that holds together shows, divisions and rosters while others benefit from the buzz. They often fly under the radar or have had their moment in the sun but are inexplicably placed on the back burner, all while still producing at a high level.
WWE and All Elite Wrestling both have their fair share of wrestlers who fall into that category but these five are, as “Macho Man” Randy Savage might put it, the cream of the crop.
The Miz
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The Miz may be the greatest success story in modern WWE history, shaking off preconceived notions about his ability to succeed to become one of the most decorated Superstars in company history.
Despite the success he has achieved away from the ring as one of the true crossover stars of his generation, The A-Lister remains someone who has no problem putting others over or poking fun at himself when the situation calls for it.
Then, when the time comes, he can turn on the emotional intensity that has so frequently been at the heart of his best stuff.
Miz is a selfless performer and has a history of elevating stars in short promo segments or longer programs. There is an argument to be made that Daniel Bryan’s initial run in WWE would not have been the success it was without an insufferable bad guy like The A-Lister to play off of.
The 42-year-old is great at his job and can command an audience with a raised hand. He is somehow underrated, an unsung hero despite a resume that is as expansive as he is loudmouthed.
Darby Allin
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Darby Allin is the equivalent of a daredevil for All Elite Wrestling, a fearless competitor who throws his body around with reckless abandon in an attempt to hurt his opponent.
He is also one of the young pillars of AEW and a guy who has repeatedly proved his ability to hang with the top names in the promotion.
The 30-year-old proved early in his AEW career that he could go toe-to-toe with Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes, and he has enjoyed main event opportunities built around himself since then rather than piggybacking on other brighter stars.
Allin has never allowed himself to slink into the background despite regularly sharing the screen with a star the magnitude of Sting and has always risen to the moment.
Though he remains in a relatively high-profile spot, his ability to work at any place on the card and move freely into and out of the main event makes him a valuable asset to AEW and somehow a far more unsung performer than he should be.
Damian Priest
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Finn Bálor is a former world champion, Rhea Ripley is the current women’s world champion and Dominik Mysterio is the sleaziest villain on the roster, but Damian Priest is the glue that holds The Judgment Day together.
He is also the workhorse of the group and has proved in 2023 that he may be the most underrated Superstar on the entire Raw roster.
From championship clashes with Seth Rollins to a Match of the Year candidate against Bad Bunny at Backlash in Puerto Rico, Priest has shown up and shown out over the last year en route to establishing himself as an unsung hero in WWE.
That his faction is increasingly establishing itself as a staple of the red brand only adds to his exposure, yet it feels as though the other members of The Judgment Day receive more praise for their work.
If Priest continues to perform at a high level, that should change. Until then, the big man with the athleticism of a cruiserweight and the charisma of a headliner will fly under the radar until he has an opportunity to shine in a big-time situation.
Toni Storm
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Toni Storm has held together an AEW women’s division that has been ravaged by injury and inconsistent booking.
The Antipodean has won women’s titles when she was not planned to, carried the division through backstage controversies and repeatedly proved herself to be a workhorse within the company.
Most recently, she won her second AEW Women’s Championship when Jamie Hayter suffered an unfortunate injury and could no longer defend it. With creative plans on the back-burner, Tony Khan trusted Storm to carry a division suddenly in flux.
She has done just that, again and been key in the elevation of Skye Blue both from a credibility and in-ring perspective.
There are flashier competitors with more momentum, but Storm’s steady consistency has made her the most valuable member of the women’s division, even more so than former centerpiece Britt Baker.
It remains to be seen just how long the 27-year-old will be asked to hold down the fort until Tony Khan gets things back in the direction he originally intended for them to go, but there is no better performer equipped to handle the spot she is in right now than Storm.
Drew McIntyre
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Drew McIntyre is an unsung hero and he knows it.
The Scottish Warrior is currently off of television amid a contract negotiation with WWE that is hung up, at least somewhat, because of his role with the company and a spot he feels is lacking in relation to his talent and proven track record.
A two-time WWE champion who carried WWE through the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a workhorse who constantly delivered but never got to perform in front of a live audience with the title.
Instead, the Scot feuded with Baron Corbin and Madcap Moss or partnered with Sheamus in a battle with Imperium. Sure, he and The Celtic Warrior had a five-star classic with Gunther at WrestleMania 39, but even that felt like a placeholder for a guy who had earlier proved himself a top-tier competitor.
McIntyre is a workhorse who has appeared on television every week, working long matches against top stars and headlined weekend live events as the top babyface on the card, only to come back and be shoved back down the card in favor of the babyface of the week.
It is an unfortunate position to be in for a guy who did everything asked of him and has been an extraordinary ambassador for WWE. His work ethic and ability to perform at every level has almost been taken for granted, rendering him one of the more unsung heroes in the company.
Hopefully, that does not cost them a virtuoso performer.
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