Steve Cook’s Fave Five: October 2020

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been a bit of a downer lately. 2020 has been difficult on many fronts for all of us, and it’s definitely had an effect on my usual philosophy of good times & great memories. That’s probably evident in much of my recent writing, as I’ve never been great at concealing my actual feelings.

That’s why the Fave Five has become one of my favorite columns to do each & every month. I get to cast aside all of the things I’d rather not spend my time writing about, and focus on the people that are entertaining me the most. A little positive energy hopefully goes a long way, and I hope you enjoy the October edition of my Fave Five.

5. Mustafa Ali

I’ll probably end up regretting saying this at some point. But as awkward & awful as RETRIBUTION has been at times on Raw, it’s doing some things that work for me. Yes, T-Bar is an awful name for a wrestler, but he’s been hilarious on the Twitter Machine. I’m not sure if Mia Yim really fits in with the group as Reckoning, but she’s getting a push on television. Mercedes Martinez, same thing. I don’t completely hate them.

Especially now that Mustafa Ali has been revealed as the leader of the group.

Mustafa Ali is a man with a proper bone to pick with WWE. We’re talking about a man that was on the verge of a WWE Championship push heading into WrestleMania 35 before he got hurt & Kofi Kingston took that moment. What did Ali do when he finally came back? A whole lot of nothing. A hacker storyline that went nowhere…or did it? The hacker was looking to create chaos from within, very similar to the goals of Retribution. There’s no guarantee that this whole thing works, but I’m all about Ali being given a chance to run with the ball here.

4. Thunder Rosa

It’s been no secret that AEW’s women’s division has been looked at as one of the weaknesses of the promotion. How do you try and make it better? By bringing in better talent, even if they happen to be under contract with the NWA. Thunder Rosa came in for All Out, challenging Shida for AEW’s Women’s Championship and making sure to have her NWA Women’s Championship belt with her. It was good business for everybody involved. The NWA benefits from being featured on AEW Dynamite, a show with more viewers than Powerrr had at its height on YouTube. AEW benefits from having Thunder Rosa up the match quality.

Call me a sentimentalist, but I like it when wrestling promotions can actually get along. Rosa getting to showcase her ability more places is only good for wrestling. It doesn’t feel like we’ve seen the last of her in AEW.

3. Sami Zayn

SmackDown has seen something of an uptick in quality lately, as it often does before the WWE Draft comes along and shakes things up. Funny how that happens. I attribute most of SD’s recent success to the returns of some key talent. Roman Reigns has certainly made an impact with his new attitude as the Tribal Chief. Sami Zayn doesn’t exactly have a new attitude, but he has revitalized the mid-card scene by once again accepting the mantle of the Intercontinental Championship.

It was wrong of WWE to take the title from him in the first place. Fortunately, Sami corrected that mistake and now holds one of the most prestigious championships in wrestling. I can think of few better men to carry on the proud tradition of the IC strap.

2. Ricky Starks

I’ve been high on the Stroke Daddy since his early appearances on NWA Powerrr. This cat has all the tools to be a big star. The look, the gift of gab, the in-ring ability…there’s no box next to Ricky’s name that you can’t put a checkmark next to. There was no doubt in my mind when he got a shot on Dynamite against Cody that he would be signed and figured into AEW’s future plans.

Starks has been feuding with fellow youngster Darby Allin and associating himself with Brian Cage as part of Team Taz. He definitely stands out as one of those guys that will be on top of AEW sooner rather than later. I don’t think I’m breaking any news here to anybody that’s seen Ricky Starks on AEW television.

1. John Silver

I’ll be honest, the thing I enjoyed most in wrestling last month was the Dark Order segments during Being the Elite. As Vince McMahon himself would say…such good shit. Silver has stood out amongst the pack with his goofiness & willingness to say or do anything to get a joke over. It really makes Monday a highlight when you know you’ll at least get that.

Will Silver’s BTE spots get him more attention on AEW’s wrestling shows? Maybe? He’s been trading wins & losses on Dark, but has been Mr. Brodie Lee’s top choice as a second for his TNT Championship matches. He typically gets to hold the title belt, and takes bumps when Mr. Brodie needs him to create a distraction. Being a top lackey can keep one employed & relevant for many years.

Though, it is still kinda weird that this guy was named after a pirate that inspired a fish restaurant.