Orange Cassidy is making a run for the 2023 Wrestler of the Year

Orange Cassidy has put together an amazing 2023 campaign and elevated himself into the Wrestler of the Year conversation. 

As we head towards the final three months of the year, everyone from fans to writers will start to write their year-end awards.  One of the more open races I believe this year is for the Wrestler of the Year. Wrestlers such as Seth Rollins, MJF, Gunther, Jon Moxley, and Roman Reigns are going to get a lot of votes from people as they should.

However, there’s one wrestler who shouldn’t be overlooked in any way shape, or form.  One wrestler who has quietly put a lot of work into giving the fans some of the best entertainment in wrestling this year.  Who is this wrestler?  Orange Cassidy.

There are many critics who don’t like Cassidy because of his character, or his don’t care attitude, but you never judge a book by its cover and Cassidy is a perfect example of this saying.  He has had a tremendous year in professional wrestling and fantastic matches on an almost weekly basis.

While Gunther gets credit for restoring prestige in the Intercontinental Title which he deserves, Cassidy should be given credit for elevating the AEW International Title to perhaps the second most important title in AEW.  With more than thirty title defenses to his credit, Cassidy elevated that championship at a time when fans didn’t see it as important.

The matches are one of the reasons why Cassidy should be considered for the Wrestler of the Year. While he may not have had five-star wrestling classics or epic hour-long draws, the title matches have caught everybody’s attention.  No matter how big or how small the wrestler is, Cassidy has left it all out on the line.

From his four-way match at AEW Forbidden Door II against Daniel Garcia, Katsuyori Shibata, and Zack Sabre Jr. to matches against Lance Archer, Bandido, and Penta El Zero Miedo to name a few.  They have all been fun and exciting matches to watch.  Cassidy put in the effort every time he stepped into the ring to defend the International Title.

When he finally lost the title to Jon Moxley at All Out 2023, he gave everything he had in his body to deliver one hell of a match.  Where Cassidy goes at this point is anybody’s guess.  At this moment it looks like he could be in a story with Hook, but he’s shown that he’s main event ready at any time.

This leads to another argument as to why people should consider Orange Cassidy for wrestler of the year, he has an unlimited amount of styles of wrestling.  He could wrestle a technical style, he could be in a hardcore brawl, or he could be in a comedy match, Cassidy’s catalog of matches spans all the different styles of wrestling.

We can point out the best matches of different wrestlers throughout this year as one or two matches, Cassidy might have had up to four or five matches that were among his very best this year.  Go back and try to find as many of his title defenses on YouTube as you can to watch some of his best matches this year.  Each match tells a different story and gets you on the edge of your seat.

Another factor to consider for Wrestler of the Year is how the fans have been drawn into his performances.  He was already one of AEW’s most popular wrestlers, but I believe that this year his popularity has branched out into an almost cult-like status.  While his popularity might not be on the same level as Seth Rollins or Cody Rhodes, Cassidy brings in the fans to see him wrestle and even win fans over.

I can tell you from my own experience that my eleven-year-old nephew loves Orange Cassidy.  He’s not a wrestling fan but Cassidy is his favorite wrestler and tries to watch him every time he is on television.  That’s the kind of popularity that Cassidy has.

So, whether Cassidy ends up winning wrestler of the year or not is not a big deal, however, he should be taken under serious consideration for this prestigious award.  An award that is normally given to the best wrestler of the year every single year.

So why not Orange Cassidy?  Hasn’t he earned the respect of not only the wrestlers but the fans who watch wrestling every week?  I truly believe in my heart that Cassidy has gone above and beyond anything that has been asked of him to be considered for wrestler of the year.

Orange Cassidy might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but to a lot of people, he’s the type of wrestler that people can get behind.  A wrestler who is relaxed doesn’t care about the type of attitude but once he gets into the ring it’s go time.

So, to all the “wrestling experts” out there reading this article I ask you one thing.  When it comes time for your year-end awards and you must select your choice for Wrestler of the Year, please take into consideration an individual who had more title defenses than Roman Reigns, more weekly televised matches than Cody Rhodes and MJF, and might have as big of a fan base as Seth Rollins.

That individual is none other than Orange Cassidy.  The master of the Orange Punch, the greatest AEW International Champion of all time, and the hardest-working man in all professional wrestling.  Even if he really doesn’t care about it that much.  Orange Cassidy for 2023 wrestler of the year, it’s a real possibility.