WWE RISING STARS & FADING STARS: Roxanne Perez, JD McDonagh, Karion Kross, Jey Uso, The Miz

The fallout of Saturday’s men’s and women’s Money in the Bank matches is sure to reshape the landscape of WWE by spotlighting two rising stars. I look forward to exploring their prospects in next week’s column.

This week, we’ll examine a few wrestlers who are thriving in their current roles, and a couple whose momentum is stalled. As always, we begin with the winners:

Rising Star of the Week: Roxanne Perez

Perez’s transition to the main roster has been uneven. After setting the record for the longest performance in a women’s Royal Rumble match in January, she lost momentum, regularly featured in televised matches with repeated losses. Of 16 televised matches in 2025, Perez has won only 3. Perez came across as a one-dimensional heel, showing little reason for the audience to invest.

Judgement Day to the rescue. Since Finn Balor introduced her to the rest of the stable, Perez has had the opportunity to show off her acting chops and her personality – and she’s delivering.

Perez’s transparent attempts to ingratiate herself with the group have been a lot of fun, from nuggets and massages to Domenick Mysterio, to ill-fated attempts to interfere in Liv Morgan’s matches. The reactions of the various Judgement Day members have ranged from Balor’s enthusiastic endorsement to Morgan’s mistrustful rejection. The teased love triangle with Mysterio and Morgan only add to the intrigue.

WWE creative clearly sees potential in Perez in giving her this spot, and she’s making the most of it. This is the first time I’ve been genuinely interested in her character.

I‘m excited to see where her story goes from here.

First Runner-up: J.D. McDonagh

A secondary player in the Judgement Day, McDonagh’s role is clear: wrestle great matches and take the losses. He excels at both. The “Irish Ace” is Balor’s equal in the ring, and his selling may be the best on Raw. Their tag team deliver more compelling matches than any other team on Raw.

After a horrific injury on the January 27th episode of Raw, in which he suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung, McDonough returned in less than 3 months, a testament to his toughness. Once mocked by Michael Cole and Pat McAfee for his oversized head, McDonagh has earned their respect – and ours.

While McDonagh only plays a minor role in the ongoing Judgement Day drama, he subtly adds value to every scene he’s in. The Judgement Day act is much better off since his return.

If he continues to overperform, I believe McDonagh’s will earn a bigger spotlight, and that will be the true “Judgement Day” for his career.

Second Runner-up: Karrion Kross

Kross only gets a minute or two of weekly TV time, but he makes it count.

As the devil a babyface’s shoulder, Kross gives us a window into their motivations without clunky exposition. Scarlet is the perfect succubus to Kross’s Lucifer. Their efforts lead to some suspense – will our hero give in to temptation?

In my view, Kross was a bright spot in the otherwise flat WrestleMania feud between Styles and Logan Paul.

After years of floundering in the undercard, its great to see Kross and Scarlet finally finding their lane.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of “Acknowledging WWE” with Javier Machado, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

FADING STAR OF THE WEEK: Jey Uso

Uso remains extremely popular with the crowd- but I’m not fans are as invested in him as they are his entrance and catchphrases. Uso’s performance as a World Champion haven’t measured up.

His promos fall short compared to the likes of Sami Zayne, Gunther, CM Punk, and even Seth Rollins. In the ring, he’s adequate – far superior to John Cena’s – but on the low end of current main event acts.

Uso thrives as a title chaser, but not as a champion.

His WrestleMania story, overcoming the odds to dethrone a dominant champion, was a great one. However, this championship reign has been lackluster.

It’s time to wrap it up.

Runner-up: The Miz

The Miz is excellent at his craft. While his ring work is serviceable at best, his charisma and mic skills have kept him relevant through much of his remarkable 19-year WWE career. He’s the only wrestler earn Grand Slam Champion status twice, an accolade he deserves.

The Miz’s introduction as a reality TV star, eminently punchable face, obnoxious catchphrases (“Really?… Really?… Really?”), and grating self-importance made him standout heel- both as a solo act and with a partner. Highlights include his feuds with Daniel Bryan and John Cena and his alliances with Maryse, John Morrison, and Damien “Mizdow.”

But the Miz’s ability to elevate babyfaces is wearing thin. He’s been humiliated so often, the fun of seeming him get his comeuppance has faded. In 2025, he’s won only 1 out of 6 televised matches and has done little to boost Carmelo Hayes or Aleister Black.

The Miz’s act feels stale. He still has value, but it’s time for a long break from TV – or a radically different role.