Keith Lee

[8.0] "This guy could have been a huge star, he's the typical exemple of "wrong place, wrong time". He has (had? ) it all: presence, natural charisma, micskills and wrestling skills too. I could totally see him having a Batista kinda role 10 years ago if booked properly. They had the chance to still doing it after that SS, but for some reasons it didn't bring to anything (and that's one of the reasons why wrestling nowadays sucks, such things happen regularly). One of the biggest what ifs ever in my opinion."

[9.0] "Keith Lee is the perfect fusion of power and agility, a big man who moves like a cruiserweight without sacrificing an ounce of intensity. Lee quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his jaw-dropping athleticism, poetic promos, and undeniable presence. He's a guy who could throw you across the ring, then moonsault off the top rope like it was nothing. The peak of his career so far was 2019 to early 2020, when he won both the NXT North American and NXT Championship, becoming the first double champ in brand history. His battles with Dominik Dijakovic and Randy Orton were instant classics, and his face-off with Roman Reigns had everyone thinking he was destined for the main event. Unfortunately, his main roster WWE run fell victim to the usual creative misfires. New gear, a new name, and awkward booking stunted his momentum. But after parting ways with WWE, Lee debuted in AEW to a massive pop, showcasing his charisma and unmatched in-ring fluidity once again. While his AEW run has been hampered by injuries and inconsistent TV time, his talent is unquestionable. Keith Lee is the rare kind of performer who can look dominant while still making his opponent shine. When healthy and motivated, he's one of the most captivating big men of the modern era. Limitless potential, undeniable skill, but needs a sustained push and health run to hit that next level of greatness."

[6.0] "One of the most agile big men this side of Vader and a great mix of old- and new-school workrates can't quite overcome the hard ceiling of his grasp of character, which never gelled no matter the context. And for all his ability to go in the ring, he too rarely made that crucial added step of making the work look urgent and not just demonstrative. There's just always been a missing piece for him, and that informs my opinion far more than his diminished work since his health scare."

[10.0] "Lee is one of my all time favorites. His athleticism is ridiculous, and so is his raw strength. He's got a ton of talent, pulling out more complex indie-style moves, even once going to NXT (at least a little bit). And what's great is none of that sacrifices his really high level story telling. In the ring, he's flawless. As a character, he's a little one-note, with essentially one character, promo, and presence for the past 20 years. But if it ain't broke."

[8.0] "According to this site, hasn't competed since December 23. Really hope the big guy's OK physically and up top. Latter appearances were very lacklustre and seemingly going through the motions but the usual Lee, for years, was a charismatic and highly likeable grizzly bear of a man with a ludicrous moveset and natural I got this assurance. Two dominant finishers too. Looked every millimetre a future heavyweight champ bossing it in NXT, had he been handled better and been luckier in terms of health, Keith Lee is one of the what ifs of recent times."

[6.0] "Really sad what happened to Keith Lee with the whole covid stuff. The guy was primed to be a main event talent in WWE, but got seriously sick and never recovered since. His in-ring ability, for somebody his size, is incredible. Once in a generation kind of talent in my opinion. His mic work isn't so good, his vocabulary is quite... odd, at times. Wouldn't translate well to a wrestling product, so having him talk for any considerable amount of time would be a mistake. Aside from that though, this guy had it all. If it wasn't for the serious illness, I think he'd still be in WWE and would of had some incredible matches. No doubt he would've been a champion on the main roster by now, whether that be IC, US or Tag Team. Had a lot of potential to be something huge in the industry, can't really use that against him when rating, but at the same time, his career on national TV was quite short. Overall, Keith Lee is an incredible talent who had no limit on how big of a star he could've become in WWE. We won't get another Keith Lee for a long, long time."

[7.0] "Keith Lee is a good wrestler, he broke out at an advanced age, having a popularity boom on the indies by 2016/17, and after that went straight to NXT, his career is very short, but he left a huge impact, specially for being such a different powerhouse than usual, the athleticism that he has for a guy of his size is unbelievable, he's a freak, the stuff he can do is really impressive, and it's his charm, but I really prefer when he's acting more like a powerhouse than a highflyer. I like a lot of his works, and some others aren't for me, it depends a lot on the opponent, against some guys he really work stiff and have those amazing powerhouse slugfests, but when he acts like something he's not built for, I have my restrictions. Still, an amazing wrestler, with a really cool arsenal of crazy acrobatic moves."

[7.0] "Was arguably at his best in WWE's NXT before they called him and completely ruined him and eventually released him. He had size and could move like a cat and I thought he was poised to really break out upon hitting the big stage but it wasn't to be. I initially thought it was good pick-up when AEW got him but he's largely been ineffective due to injuries and health issues, which isn't his fault. I hope he's able to bounce back and find a way back to prominence"

[6.0] "How far he's fallen. In his prime he was something to see, giant man flying around like it was nothing. Very easy to root for and had a quirky and compelling way to present his character. His peak probably happened in NXT. He was the man there, I though he'd be main eventing Manias' in no time. Then the pandemic happened and totally clipped his wings, he almost died to covid and never really recovered. These days he's pretty cooked, maybe if he completely dropped the high flying stuff and became a traditional powerhouse he could do well. The problem however is that he build all his aura and persona around being a flyer, so without that there's nothing else there. Hoping he can make a comeback, but It doesn't look good right now."

[10.0] "Keith Lee is the man. Strength, agility, charisma, look, he has it all. Im not sure where the sudden hate for him came from (if its genuinely because he was bummed out at WALTER having to change his name, Im gonna laugh), but Keiths been one of the best big men in wrestling for years."

[6.0] "It's clear to me that as of 2023, Keith Lee has just about completely lost his passion for pro wrestling. He was beloved and over on the Indies. Then he goes to NXT, and he struggled at first, but then ended up becoming a Double Champion, then goes to the WWE Main Roster, where everything went downhill. Then comes to AEW, with no improvement. The best thing he has done in AEW is the "Sweve in our Glory" Tag Team partnership with Swerve Strickland. But once that partnership ended, he seemingly has truly been exposed for not having any passion. He comes & goes, has unexplained disappearances, has a bunch of lifeless matches, and now has even ended up having a candidate for 2023 Worst Feud of the Year with Swerve as a result. Even Darby Allin told him to get it together, and nothing seemed to click in Keith's mind. So it seems to me that it's best to move on from him."

[1.0] "Keith Lee of 2023 just can't get the damn hang of it anymore. Was very promising in NXT then joined the main roster and since joining AEW he has become a very slow and laboured worker. I don't see it getting any better as his size and age appears to have caught up to him and those God awful promos don't cut it either."

[0.0] "Hard to believe this man was being touted as a future WWE champion at one point. In spite of his wretched promos he was a believable big man who could move great and regularly had good matches. I know he's been ill but there is clearly more to it than that, he's regressed horrendously in the ring due to lack of motivation and thinking he is better than he is. Moves incredibly slow and laboriously now, and the only future is maybe in a tag team but not with Swerve who has far surpassed him."

[3.0] "The guy who once shined charisma all over the place suddenly lost it all, and besides some of his move the guy is just boring now, he was great 2019-2020 but currently he just lost alot of his in ring skill and looks slow, and cant cut a good promo anymore, he has alot to improve and i hope he gets back to that 2019-2020."

[4.0] "Surprisingly agile for his size but brings nothing else. Dangerous due to the moves he insists on doing despite his size. Absolute charisma black hole with no in ring psychology. A deep voice is not a substitute for being able to cut a promo."

[4.0] "[Original rating July 2022: 7.0] A comment on this site hit the nail on the head with Lee: "I feel like he's slipped some post his illness." Lee has always had talent and was fantastic in NXT, though a difficult year with illness and inconsistencies in AEW have been his downfall. [Updated rating June 2023: 4.0] Keith's career in AEW has sadly gone downhill. This is both due to his booking and his random pairing with Dustin Rhodes, and due to his physique. Keith has sadly been showing the side effects of a severe illness he caught. It's obviously hampered his ability to perform to the level he used to. For his own wellbeing, maybe it's worth hanging up his boots, even if it's temporarily."

[9.0] "Imagine your Keith Lee, stlwart and corner stone of the American independents for year, know for your skill, athletics, charisma and banger after banger of matches. Then you get signed by WWE, go on to show of what made you special to a wider televised audience, prove to be an open goal star in the making. Full of praise, fans and support. Then you get called up and "Vince'd all over" in the same fashion fans have been complaining about done to other call ups for many years. Then you get Covid, horrible world wide plague and unfortunate enough for it to not only nearly kill you, but affect your long term health. It cannot be pleasant. Then you get released under questionable circumstances, everyone is mad! Then you finally catch a break, join with AEW and while it is true Covid, injuries and age have affected your once impeccable ability, but that doesn't change what you did before, just like every other great whose health declined still held in high regard, you're still the same man inside as before and definitely no slouch in the ring. In spite of everything, you've landed on your feet with your health, career and mind in tact, even comfortable enough to come out to the world with your natural hair colour... HOWEVER this is the internet wrestling community circa 2023, tribalism is at an all time high and no one cares about you or your wellbeing, except to just dunk on strangers on Twitter and Youtube and go "lol AEW" regardless of your positives, so lets just s*** all over you instead because being considerate of circumstance is dead, no one has empathy and steal lines from Cornette, who has a podcast to sell. You are Keith Lee, the best example of why I have come to hate a lot of the internet wrestling community."

[6.0] "I never saw Keith Lee's NXT work, so I only know him from AEW, and it's hard for me to understand what the fuss is about. I see youtubers losing their shit about him not being booked like a top star, but I honestly don't see him as much beyond how he's currently being used. He's a good talker and has a notable big man look, although he looks far older than he actually is. His wrestling is decent, as far as his chosen style of athletic big man goes, but not as memorable as a singles than as a tag team with Swerve or even Dustin, which is a problem."

[1.0] "Keith Lee was great in 2019, he had an epic showing at Survivor Series, great matches with Dijakovic and then was a highlight in the 2020 Rumble. From what I've seen I didn't like his indy work but he fit in well in this environment and had great presentation. In 2020 things started to go downhill he didn't seem like a good NXT champion and his matches with Cole were too contrived like most of Cole's matches in NXT. His main roster run was his opportunity to recapture his early momentum, which I admit WWE has a role in bungling this up but he was used poorly and then an unfortunate illness caused him to miss a lot of TV. When he returned he was saddled with some stupid gimmick which did not fit him (in fact Keith does not have much range in terms of character or storytelling), and it wasn't long before he was released. Now he's in AEW in th worst shape of his life wrestling jobbers and being unable to keep up with his previous athletic self he should wrestle more like a powerhouse than a high-flyer. The fact that he has a higher rating on this site than the likes of Bam Bam Bigelow, Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton is a travesty."

[5.0] "Definitely slowing down as age and injuries catch up. He had a good spell a few years ago but he just looks cumbersome and hard to work with recently. He doesn't really sell well for his opponents either. Clearly his health has declined massively as he looks really hard to work with these days."

[8.0] "One of the best big men in wrestling from 2017-2020. A beef lad look, not bad promos, great charisma and could go in the ring. But his brush with death from COVID has stolen a ton of his athleticism, which is a damn shame. Just screwed out of a great career by random luck."

[8.0] "Keith Lee feels like a true wrestling big man-- somebody who is a specimen, and a true spectacle to behold. He has ridiculous power, and moves around really well for a guy his size. I love his character too. Keith Lee is the kind of guy who makes me want to see more of him."

[9.0] "He should have been pushed in WWE. He would have been great for them. I would rate his overall career a 9, because of the matches I saw him have in PWG. I am just annoyed that A. WWE didn't complete his push and B. He isn't there anymore. I don't think he will get back to being in the ring with roman reigns like the was at royal rumble. They could have made star there. JR said he is 400 pounds now at All Out. Many times."

[9.0] "Probably the best big man in wrestling today, I really hope he wins a world title someday, cuz he deserves and he has everything that a main eventer should have."

[9.0] "Keith Lee is great in the ring. Best in big hoss fights where he can truly show his power and athleticism. On the mic he is good enough. When it comes to the crowd he can get over with any crowd as they bask in his glory."

[10.0] "Keith Lee has slowed down a bit this last year but he's still absolutely fantastic and can go like nobody's business. He's athletic as hell, charismatic, and one of the best big men I've ever seen in wrestling. In NXT and the indies he was spectacular and in AEW he's still great. I really think he made a good team with Swerve Strickland and I'm excited to see what he does next."

[9.0] "Charismatic as hell and insanely agile for someone his size. He would be one of the best TNT Champs in AEW history if booked well."

[6.0] "Keith Lee has the potential to be a truly great wrestler, especially in big hoss fights where he shows off his immaculate power offence. However, he works too slow of a style to try and be a main eventer and it backfires on him almost every time. He's meant for slug fests, not for epics and he doesn't have enough charisma to carry himself if a match isn't going to plan. However, he's going up a point because he's surprisingly a tremendous heel in tag team matches?"

[8.0] "I feel like he's slipped some post his illness. I'm awaiting being given a reason to return here and bump this back up to 9."

[10.0] "I've been watching Keith Lee matches since he was hyped up on the indie scene. I have always been impressed with his moves and just the way he handles himself in the ring. Yeah he's 'big' , but you have always had a few good big men, and he is at the top of that current list."

[6.0] "I've never been able to get behind Keith. There's something about him, it might be how he doesn't wrestle mostly like a powerhouse and instead just mixes in spots that don't belong like moonsaults or whatever other flippy stuff he does. When he does wrestle like a powerhouse, like in his first few matches that's where I was able to get behind him a bit, but his performances are inconsistent and apparently his poor health has put a damper on his work, he really has put on more weight after leaving WWE. Oh, and I agree with y'all his promos and mannerisms are cringe. Your eloquence in your elaborate articulation of your verbiage is lost when they are conveyed in a tone of a 1500s classical musician's voice."

[7.0] "In his prime, Keith Lee is world champion material with great natural charisma and unbelievable athleticism. However, at this point unfortunately due to some health challenges, he's much more of a big bruiser type, which he does pretty well as but not as good."

[6.0] "Keith Lee has had some real flashes over greatness over the years. He's had some great matches and could look like a total powerhouse. Once he began working in NXT it's been downhill ever since. He had some really bad matches and proved that he really doesn't know how to work like a big man should. He has some awful habits in the ring which shows he has the mindset of working like a 180lb indie guy. Main roster WWE killed any momentum and since he's joined AEW the bloom is off the rose ever since his debut match against Isiah Kassidy. He's gotten slower, bigger and just can't keep up with other talents. He needs to adapt his wrestling style and drop that stupid speech pattern when he talks. No one talks like that in real life."

[8.0] "In NXT he did very well, then WWE booked him poorly on the main roster, he has always moved very well in a ring for his weight but in recent months he has gained 30 pounds and his movements have been very limited, I hope he wins by at least some muscle, of course a wrestlerintimidating and one of the best in AEW."

[9.0] "Despite his size, Lee is an athletic performer. Personally, I don't like him flying through the ropes as it looks quite dangerous but I do appreciate the athleticism. He is a charismatic worker, who wrestles best with a slow and methodical pace, systematically beating down his opponent."

[10.0] "I simply love it, it is the only Power House that I like to see, because although it is all physical, it also gives a lot to the technical aspect and it is also very funny with its facial gestures, it is a great character."

[8.0] "Keith Lee was a great worker. Had consistent bangers on a weekly basis with some of the best talent in the world. I say was, because once he got to the WWE main roster, he slowed to an absolute crawl. Everything that made him special suddenly vanished, he ballooned in size and got gassed incredibly quickly in matches. His athletic capabilities, gone. He became a generic big man. On more positive notes, he oozed charisma, and was able to connect to any crowd. His promo ability is subpar, but it's fine enough for his simplistic character. Great worker that seems to have slowed down in recent years."

[8.0] "An incredibly talented performer who has a natural charisma few possess. Capable of doing moves a man that size should not be able to do."

[8.0] "Really nice powerhouse, but for some reasons highly overrated, I'm not saying he's a bad wrestler... but he's really agile for his height and weight and he's also a very good worker."

[4.0] "His ring work is okay. He's good enough at what he does, although his timing is often off the mark. His promos are okay. They don't induce any cringeworthy moments, but at the same time they don't make you care about listening to what he has to say either. He debuted in 2005, and is 36, so I really don't see him getting better or becoming a huge star. He is just remarkably average even with twinkles of charisma, and a certain quality, it just never gets fully delivered it would seem. I haven't seen anything that I couldn't manage to make it through, but I also have seen nothing that I remember very well either. There is no lasting impression."

[7.0] "His run on the indies was a lot of fun and he seemed like a big deal. Since joining NXT he's regressed and his main roster run is a total flop. It could always turn around but I'm doubtful."

[6.0] "Lee is okay, but extremely overrated, mostly due to his terrible timing. He has some potential, but I feel he may not be technically sound enough to please Vince."

[9.0] "Keith Lee is a beautiful big chungus, and perhaps the greatest example of how WWE have it in them to underuse absolutely anyone. They wouldn't know a good thing if it gave them a massive hug, which I would assume Keith Lee is very good at. He's also very good at wrestling, thanks to a hybrid style that has taken the 'athletic big man' wrestler type to crazy new lands."

[8.0] "A really fun wrestler with strong power and surprising agility, with good mic chops on top. I'm surprised WWE didn't pick up on Lee sooner considering he's probably one of the few indie guys whom I would say could actually get over on the main stage without needing to change much. Do I think he's perfect? Not at all. Lee isn't the carrying type of wrestler, the rare main man whom can take almost anyone and wrestle them to a decent to even good match: he struggles with lower card wrestlers or more scrappy guys and doesn't adapt well to that style. He also has a knack for perhaps doing too much as a big man: his sensational high flying spots are reduced less and less the more he does them regularly, and as such his main attraction sorta disappears over time. He plays a better strongman and should lean in to that sort of style more, pulling out the moonsaults and like only on rare (and big) occasions. I guess age isn't on his side either: he's only really got a few years before he'll have to start drastically cutting down on what he can or can't do, so the bar for him is pretty shaky to say the least. We'll see if he can properly adapt to being on the roster. Could go either way at this point, but I'm hoping for the best."

[10.0] "Keith Lee is a tremendous athlete he is so talented and he has great potential. Keith lee's run in nxt was awesome after he got moved to the main roster some of his potential was lost. After a clean victory against Orton his momentum slowed down but now that he is part of the survivor series team I he can redeem himslef."

[10.0] "For a huge guy, Keith Lee can do springboards and amazing flips! He has incredible in-ring abilities and good microphone skills. He has a great future ahead of him as he's pulling off great matches!"

[9.0] "Bask in his glory indeed. A man his size should not be able to do the things he does but he somehow mananges to. He has the look and the charisma to feel like a main event level talent. Also his voice is holy."

[6.0] "Keith lee is a big man that can fly. His wrestling skills is good and he has charisma, but he hasn't mic skill, also he is terminator, that's why I don't like him."

[10.0] "I've tried to find some flaws in Keith Lee, but I couldn't. This guys is just amazing, he portrays his role as no one, he has a fabulous arsenal of moves, he's charismatic as hell and has a good look. Keith Lee is just too good."

[8.0] "Only have seen his NXT work, but incredible skills for a big man. Great on the mic, and has a big future in the WWE."