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Brawlers often aren’t spoken about in the same respect as technicians and highflyers in modern wrestling, but with legends like Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brodie, and Roddy Piper we should start putting some respect on them.
A "Brawler" is traditionally a competitor whose fighting style is ugly, scrappy, or void of grapples. Their main way of attacking their opponent is with their fists, feet, head, elbows, forearms, and hands.
This is the basic definition but over the years we have seen the Brawler style of wrestling become more finessed with powerhouses, high-flyers and grapplers adopting this style in and outside of the ring.
In AEW there are many different types of brawlers from your slow and brutal powerhouse’s to the more physically powerful high-flyers. We want to give a special look at some of the more unsung heroes of AEW's squared circle, so here are 7 of the company's best brawlers.
Some honorable mentions that almost made the list include The Butcher, The Blade, Lance Archer and Big Swole.
#7. Allie, The Dark Bunny of AEW
Allie is a small and unintimidating wrestler at first glance but her crazy girl Bunny persona and her relationship with The Butcher and The Blade has made her a force to be reckoned with.
The Bunny has previously been known as both Cherry Bomb and just Allie, but after her time in IMPACT the Dark Allie character has taken shape and her in-ring style has become even scrappier than before.
She is now a brawler in every sense of the word, and a true hybrid, combining her grappling skills with a hardcore wrestling edge that makes her truly unique.
#6. Former AEW Women's Champion The Native Beast, Nyla Rose
Nyla Rose is a powerhouse brawler who uses her strength in a division that is full of women who are technically gifted in the ring or use their acrobatics to wow the crowd. Nyla Rose isn’t just a brawler in AEW, she goes to the top rope and her submission game is sound, but her power is the thing that sets her apart.
She has faced off with everyone from the quick and highflying stylings of Joshi stars Riho and Yuka Sakazaki, to fellow powerhouses Awesome Kong and Kris Statlander all the way to huge stars of the division such as Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. and Hikaru Shida.
Nyla Rose was the second AEW Women’s Champion, defeating Riho. She kept a strangle hold on the division using her strength and ability to take the fight outside of the ring before being defeated by Hikaru Shida. There is so much more Rose can show us and it will only be a matter of time before she is in the AEW Women's title picture again.
#5. The Man With Zero-Fear in AEW, Pentagon Jr
Penta is the high-flying brawler of AEW with a vicious streak and powerhouse moves. He is technically sound inside the squared circle with the ability to move fast and hit hard that makes him an even match for anyone who faces him.
Taking things to the outside and incorporating different weapons and objects into his offense, he is unafraid of putting his body on the line if it means you get a good show, and his opponent is defeated in the process.
Being able to incorporate so many different elements into his wrestling style, it has allowed him to face off against the likes of Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Sami Callihan and LAX, with each match bringing something new and different.
Despite the fact he is a brawler by nature and the very definition, he has always been able to adapt his style to who he is facing. Now being the AEW Tag-Team Champion alongside his brother Rey Fenix, we can expect to see even more of his high-flying brawler style in the months to come.
#4. The Best in the World, CM Punk
CM Punk shouts “It’s clobbering time” before coming to the ring, and that is exactly what he does. He is considered the best in the world and the voice of the voiceless, but he also brings a brawling scrappy style to the squared circle that isn’t talked about nearly enough.
While CM Punk is the whole package when it comes to his work inside and outside of the squared circle. He works hard inside the ring while making sure his opponent looks just as good as he does. Despite his technical proficiency, use of ring psychology and charisma that is unmatched, he is a brawler to his core.
By embracing a scrappy fighting style while always seeming like the comic book-loving, punk-listening underdog of the wrestling world, Punk has made sure he will always have a connection to the audience. This is despite his 7-year absence from the squared circle.
#3. The Mad King, Eddie Kingston
Eddie Kingston has been lowkey, one of the best wrestlers working on the independent scene for the last 15 years and finally got signed by AEW in 2020. When it comes to brawling, he is classed as a hardcore grappler, a combination of a hardcore wrestler who uses weapons, and a grappler who focuses on mat based wrestling and beat downs.
His influences include the pillars of All Japan Pro-Wrestling [AJPW] and this is seen in his moveset with his Misawa-esque hard hitting moves. Kingston also utilizes his time in the hardcore scene by being unafraid of taking things to the outside and using weapons to enhance the action,
But to his core he is a grappler and technician. His match against Miro at this year's All Out was one of the matches of the night and a chance for everyone to see why Eddie Kingston is one of the best brawlers in the world.
#2. Jon Moxley is AEW
Jon Moxley is possibly one of the most well-known and well-loved hardcore grapplers in AEW and all of wrestling. But he isn’t just that, he is a technician inside the ring, embracing elements of MMA and has shown the world since leaving WWE that he is so much more than how he was presented there.
His work extends past just AEW with some of his best work coming in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and GCW, more specifically Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport. Moxley has been the AEW World Champion, a multi-time IWGP United States Champion and is the new GCW champion.
As a brawler he encompasses so many different styles of brawling that he is possibly one of the best. From his hardcore roots to his transition to a technician and grappler, Jon Moxley is the best brawler in AEW today.
#1. The best of all, Mr. Brodie Lee
We couldn’t end the list without giving a special mention to Mr. Brodie Lee.
Brodie Lee was a powerhouse brawler who could do it all. It’s hard to talk about the late great Brodie Lee without getting emotional but we felt it was important to remember his legacy inside of the ring.
As both Luke Harper and Mr. Brodie Lee, Jon Huber changed the perception of big men in wrestling, he was athletic and technical with a charisma that made everyone love him, even while working as a heel.
While his work as a bad guy is more well known the fan support he gained resulted in him becoming a beloved babyface no matter what role he was placed in.
He had the essence of the late Bruiser Brody but took it to the next level, and while his time was short in AEW he would make a huge impact. Mr. Brodie Lee put on classics with fellow brawler Jon Moxley and old-school wrestler Cody, taking no care for his own body in order to win.
His championship run with the TNT Championship will always be legendary while his mic work was some of the best he had done his entire career. Brodie Lee left us too soon, but his powerhouse moves, technical wizardry, hardcore feel and in-ring psychology will be remembered for all time.
