By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Dot Net readers were allowed a single vote per day for each of the 2020 awards categories. The following are the results of our poll for Best Babyface along with our staff comments. Thanks to everyone who took part in the voting.
1. Drew McIntyre (38 percent)
2. Jon Moxley (25 percent)
3. Kevin Owens (5 percent)
4. Orange Cassidy (4 percent)
5. Edge and Darby Allin (Tied with 3 percent each)
Others (22 percent)
Nick Perkins’ Thoughts: It started at the 2020 Royal Rumble. Drew McIntyre came out at number 16 with his eyes locked on Brock Lesnar, who had been dominating the match up until that point. McIntyre entered the right and, after a bit of help from Ricochet, kicked Brock Lesnar out of the ring and out of the match. A short time later, he did the same thing to Roman Reigns and he won the 2020 Royal Rumble, securing his very first WWE Championship title shot. He ended the show with tears in his eyes as he pointed at the WrestleMania sign. And then Covid. And his WrestleMania moment was stolen from him, but he didn’t let that bring him down. He took a moment that should have happened in front of a hundred thousand fans, and he made it very personal. He accepted the championship with shaky hands, almost afraid to do so. And then, a la Dusty Rhodes, he stuck his hand out to us, the viewers, and he said ‘Thank you.’ Drew McIntyre made wrestling fans feel like his journey was our journey and he led the company during its strangest year in recent history. In doing so, he proved himself to be a champion more than any wrestling match ever could.
Colin McGuire’s Thoughts: In a year where the world shut down, leave it to one of the most unorthodox babyfaces in the modern day to be 2020’s best. While Drew McIntyre did great work and Kevin Owens excels at pretty much everything he does, this is Orange Cassidy’s year, like it or not. He represents a popular culture that has become obnoxiously and increasingly apathetic. Yes, I understand the arguments that he trolls the business, and yes, I’ll be the first to admit he’s not for everybody. But Orange Cassidy is of the times and for the times. He’s got the best-selling merch, Chris Jericho put him over and no matter if there’s 500 or 5,000 people there, no one doesn’t pop for the hands-in-pockets bit. He half-assed his way to the No. 1 spot and nothing makes more sense in 2020.
Anish V’s Thoughts: Jey Uso was a tag team standout who I really didn’t see becoming one of the top babyfaces of the year. He really turned into a main event player and had me buying into his challenge of Roman Reigns and the WWE Universal Title. Uso’s heel turn makes sense for now, but it also stings because of how surprising and how great of a babyface he was in 2020.
Jason Powell’s Thoughts: This was a two-man race between Drew McIntyre and Jon Moxley. The voters got it right by giving the nod to McIntyre. There’s not a better traditional babyface in the game than McIntyre. He’s also proof that fans will still embrace WWE’s top babyface regardless of how many rejected top babyfaces blamed the fans for being fickle rather than acknowledge holes in their own game or flaws in their approach.
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