SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Some say that the story of WWE programming in 2025 is that of a diminished product that never recovered from the conclusion of the Bloodline storyline. They may describe how the cracks are starting to show in Triple H’s booking, with an over-reliance on non-finishes, excessive advertising, confusion caused by blurring the line between babyface and heel, and overall neglect of the tag team division. Rising prices have kept longtime fans from attending shows live. WWE programming in the United States has been spread out over several networks and streaming platforms, leaving most fans unable to afford access to every program.
While these criticisms ring true, WWE had a great year regardless. There’s been a lot to love in 2025. The bar continues to rise for athleticism and wrestling ability, which continues to benefit fans through higher quality matches. WWE production is fantastic, and the announce team continues to improve. 2025 has seen plenty of thrilling matches, engaging storylines, and elevation of exciting new stars.
This week, we focus on the men’s division, examining wrestlers who have been elevated most in 2025, and those who have seen their stock bottom out.
Rising Star of the Year: Dominik Mysterio
Spot-on booking propelled Dominik Mysterio to new heights in 2025.
“Dirty” Dom started out 2025 fairly cold. In the doghouse with Liv Morgan, he failed to win the Tag Team and Speed championships, lost nine of his first ten matches, and lasted only 4 minutes in the Royal Rumble match.
His fortunes would turn around at WrestleMania, when he pinned his Judgement Day teammate Finn Bálor in a Fatal 4-way match to win the Intercontinental Championship. His title reign would last more than six months.
Through summer the self-styled King of the Luchadors employed increasingly creative ways to cheat to win matches: hiding a hammer in his boot, framing his opponent for use of a foreign object, or loosening his boot to come off when his opponent applied a submission hold. These tactics were made famous by Eddie Guerrero, who Dominik models himself after. Mysterio would go so far as to refer to Guerrero as his father on Raw.
Guerrero’s clever cheating helped make him a main eventer, but these tactics actually fit Dom far better. Possessed remarkable athleticism and wrestling ability, Guerrero seemed perfectly capable of winning without resorting to cheating, breaking the rules simply because he enjoyed it. Far less physically gifted, Mysterio typically seems over-matched by more powerful and skilled opponents. Dirty Dom clearly needs to cheat if he has a chance of winning, and cheat he does.
Audiences have responded to this fitting presentation, and Mysterio is cheered as often as not. Meanwhile, Dirty Dom continued to collect accolades, including wins over A.J. Styles at SummerSlam, El Hijo del Vikingo (to pick up the AAA Mega Championship) at Worlds Collide, and even John Cena in a high-profile an enjoyable—if overbooked—match at Survivor Series.
Dom has risen from a lower midcarder to an upper midcarder who can credibly visit the main event scene. Although some speculate he is a future main eventer, I believe he’s reached the ceiling of the potential his abilities allow. Either way, 2025 was the year Dirty Dom truly arrived.
Runner-up: Bron Breakker
Breakker convincingly elevated himself from the top of the mid-card to main event status in 2025. After debuting on the main roster in early 2024, the son of Rick Steiner was largely protected and would go on to win the Intercontinental Championship in August. Except for a brief period in which he dropped the title to Jey Uso before winning it back, he would hold onto the championship until this year’s WrestleMania. Even in this defeat Breakker was protected, as he lost the title without being pinned.
Breakker’s alignment with The Vision just after WrestleMania brought him into main event programs on a weekly basis. Although he showed little chemistry with faction leader Seth Rollins, Breakkerseemed to gel more naturally with Paul Heyman and overachiever Bronson Reed. Breakker was consistently showcased as a rising star. Throughout 2025 Breakker main evented Raw on several occasions, and won 11 of his 15 singles matches. Heyman would go so far as to predict “he’s going to main event a dozen WrestleMania’s.”
Breakker’s betrayal of Seth Rollins in October positioned him as the de facto leader of The Vision. This would be reinforced when he pinned WWE Champion CM Punk to win WarGames and went on to challenge Punk for the title in an intense promo that many consider worthy of a true main eventer.
Breakker is the wrestler who most clearly broke into main event status on the main roster in 2025. He seems destined to win his first main roster world championship in 2026. His performances in the ring have been excellent. If his mic work continues to improve, Breakker will prove he deserves to stay in a top spot.
Second Runner up: Oba Femi
NXT boasts a number of remarkable performers, but none had a more impressive year than Oba Femi. Femi started off 2025 with the greatest win of his career: capturing his first NXT Championship on Jan. 7. The Ruler of NXT reigned as champion for 263 days before losing it to Ricky Saints in September, only to regain the title once more in early December.
Femi possesses an impressive 6-4, 310-pound frame and notable athleticism for a big man. His in-ring talent is especially impressive considering he made his debut only two years ago. Shawn Michaels reportedly said he’d “never seen anyone take to this so quickly” as Femi.
In 2025 Femi had a number of fantastic matches, especially those which paired him up with fellow standouts Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans. His dominance over NXT has been enthusiastically embraced by fans. Femi’s last match of the year saw him was his first on a main roster stage. Saturday Night’s Main Event saw Femi wrestle Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in another impressive showing. Although his entrance could use some work (bopping up and down to his music as he marched to the ring seems a bit cheesy), Femi more than held his own before the match was thrown out by interference, looking every bit an unstoppable monster even compared to the top wrestler in the company.
Femi will almost certainly transition full time to the main roster in 2026. Whenever that happens, he seems destined for the main event scene.
Honorable Mention: Bronson Reed
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Fading Star of the Year: Damien Priest
Priest saw his stock as a WWE performer fall precipitously in 2025.
As the chill but mysterious leader of the Judgment Day, he had seen a rise to prominence just one year before. He spent the majority of 2024 on the rise as the holder of the Money in the Bank contract and went on to successfully cash in at WrestleMania to enjoy a reign as World Heavyweight Champion.
By year’s end, he had turned face, split from the Judgement Day, and strengthened his alliance with fellow cast-off Rhea Ripley as the Terror Twins. He remained a top contender for the title, participating in the Elimination Chamber match and moving into a high-profile feud with Drew McIntyre.
After trading wins with McIntyre in WrestleMania and Backlash, Priest faded into the background. Without Ripley or the Judgment Day to play off of, his character has been far less compelling. Nagging injuries to his shoulder, knees, and back resulted in a reduced in-ring schedule and likely made him a lower priority for writers.
Priest has remained bogged down in a slow protracted feud with Aleister Black, which has dragged on for several months and failed to produce much in the way of excitement. In the meantime, Priest has been left off all WWE PLE’s since May and was reduced to wrestling Kit Wilson on WWE Main Event.
Here’s hoping a healthier 2026 sees the Archer of Infamy hit the bullseye once again.
First Runner-Up: Carmello Hayes
An unequivocal success in NXT, Hayes lived up to the moniker “Melo Don’t Miss” with exciting matches and compelling storylines. He debuted with great fanfare on the main roster in 2024 as Smackdown’s third overall draft pick. Since then, Hayes has failed to recapture the magic of his NXT days.
After winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in April, 2025 saw Melo’s continued decline. His unsuccessful tag team with the Miz was followed by a breakup that lacked impact and uninspiring subsequent feud.
In 2025 not only did Melo miss, he airballed.
Second Runner-Up: Sheamus
A powerful brawler and skilled in-ring storyteller, Sheamus can be relied upon for a good promo and a great, hard-hitting match. However, his fortunes in WWE seem to have faded along with his formerly chiseled physique. Following the disintegration of Fight Night in 2023, he has failed to gain any traction in storylines.
During 2025, his descent from a major player to lower-midcard gatekeeper continued. In January, he tried and failed to take the Intercontinental Championship from Breakker. This former PLE mainstay was left off WrestleMania entirely and has few matches of significance this year. His only PLE match in 2025 (besides being a Royal Rumble participant) was his loss to Rusev at Clash in Paris.
The Celtic Warrior has more to offer.
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