SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Never meet your heroes, or so they say. Like all celebrities, wrestlers aren’t truly the superhumans they appear. We only see them at their very best, especially if they’re booked well.
A good booker plans compelling storylines and exciting matches. A great booker does so in a manner that hides each performer’s weaknesses while showcasing their strengths.
Paul Heyman during 1990s ECW? Great booker.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque circa now? It’s complicated
Great booking can make a mediocre wrestler into a star (e.g., Dominic Mysterio), while bad booking can stop a talented performer from realizing their potential (e.g., Santos Escobar).
Who is being booked to succeed in WWE, and who are storylines letting down? Let’s dive in.
Rising Star of the Week: Jey Uso
I concede that a yeet-ing, smiling, dancing version of Jey Uso won the hearts of many fans and earned him a World Heavyweight Title reign. His extended entrance through the crowd, leading thousands in hand-waving unison, was a sign to behold. However, this act got old quickly.
Give me the edgy, hotheaded Bloodline version of Jey Uso any day.
Jey’s descent into ruthlessness under the guidance of his cousin Roman Reigns is a perfect continuation of his story and a welcome relief. Jey’s selfless desire to help his friends and do what is right characterized his title run and ultimately led to him losing the title back to Gunther. Reigns’s insistence that Jey needs to focus on his own needs instead would naturally find fertile ground in Jey’s embittered mind.
Counterbalancing Reigns’ devil whispering in one ear, we have Jimmy’s angel appealing fruitlessly to Jey’s better nature in the other. Jey has always been at his best with Roman and Jimmy. The resulting drama is the most compelling any of these characters have been involved in since the Bloodline’s implosion.
Will Jey and Roman turn heel? Will their alliance last? What will become of Jimmy? I can’t anticipate where this story will go, and I couldn’t be more intrigued.
Runner-up: Seth Rollins
Rollins has come a long way from the grating, failing babyface he portrayed in 2024. In his current role as the villainous leader of The Vision, Seth’s outrageous outfits and self-obsession only serve to enhance his character. This version of the Visionary is relevant, interesting, and plays well off opponents and allies alike.
His current feud with Cody Rhodes takes full advantage of their shared history to make this Crown Jewel Championship match the most compelling in recent years.
The frequent reminders of how high the stakes are to Rollins and his 0-3 record against Cody do seem to telegraph Seth’s victory. Nonetheless, the match promises great wrestling and high drama in equal measure, easily earning its place in the main event.
For all the unfair comparison to the wildly successful Bloodline, The Vision has vastly improved Raw’s main event scene, and Seth’s booking has everything to do with it.
Second Runner up: Maxxine Dupri
Dupri must be a pleasure to work with, because she’s held onto a highly-coveted main roster spot for over three years despite minimal talent and crowd response.
Her greatest asset is obvious: She looks like a star. Good looks cannot be taught, and their value is immense. However, her initial ringwork on Raw was nothing short of atrocious, and she has never been a skilled talker.
Monday’s 14-minute match against Becky Lynch was a new test for Dupri’s ring skills. She has progressed significantly – from unbearably poor to just poor. She continues to seem awkward and uncertain in between moves, but outright botches were far fewer.
Dupri also possesses an earnest likability. Her uncertainty in the ring actually helps in defining her as an underdog, as does her obvious effort and loyalty to lovable losers Akira Tozawa and Otis. Fans want to see her improve and succeed, particularly against an effective heel like Lynch.
Fan support was evident in her unlikely countout victory. Lynch has proven to be a very giving performer, eager to make her opponents look their best – even if that means defining down her own character in the process.
Dupri is by no means a star, but this is the closest she’s ever come to earning her spot on the roster.
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: Iyo Sky
Iyo Sky’s acting is as abominable as her in-ring work is phenomenal.
Her falling out with former Damage CTRL teammates the Kabuki Warriors makes for a natural and exciting storyline… in theory.
The execution has been nothing short of embarrassing.
Creative is asking far too much of Sky. Booking her to engage in extended talking segments with dialogue too complex for her limited English, and asking her to emote beyond her ability, is setting her up for failure… and fail she has. The result is an awkward performance, made all the worse when paired with the Kabuki Warriors, who share her weaknesses.
Sky is a true star, but her act must be handled with care in a way that hides her weaknesses and focuses the spotlight on her excellent matches.
Leave the acting to Rhea Ripley.
First Runner-Up: Damian Priest
How the mighty have fallen. It’s remarkable how far Priest’s stock has dipped in such a short amount of time. Twenty twenty-four was undeniably his year. Priest parlayed his status as Senor Money in the Bank to becoming World Heavyweight Champion and a top figure on Raw. His alliance with Rhea Ripley and their shared feud with their former Judgement Day stablemates cast Priest as a real alpha and highlighted his cool factor. The result was compelling television in which Priest was a top star. The Archer of Infamy hit the proverbial bullseye.
In sharp contrast, 2025 has seen Priest’s fall from grace, coinciding with his transfer to Smackdown. Aside from his WrestleMania loss to Drew McIntyre, his year has been entirely forgettable. Without the Judgement Day to play off, Priest comes off as dull and unimportant. He needs dynamic characters to play off, and Aleister Black does not fit the bill.
WWE creative must find better ways to showcase Priest. With the right pairing and storylines, “Bondage Undertaker” can return to gloryand play a key role on Smackdown.
Second Runner-Up: Stephanie Vaquer
“I will show you who I am […] I won’t be losing any much.”
This week we saw the new champion’s first stumble, as a part of an awkward, clunky contract signing segment with Tiffany Stratton.
Pulling off a compelling back and forth promo with Stratton is a hard ask, even for the best of talkers. For Vaquer, who struggles to deliver lines in English in the best of circumstances, it proved impossible.
In retrospect, it’s difficult to fathom why WWE creative would put Vaquer in such a position, as a contract signing in front of a live crowd shone a spotlight on her greatest weakness. A prerecorded segment, where mistakes can be re-recorded with ease, would have been a better proposition.
If Vaquer is to succeed as a top act, creative must treat her act with more care.
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