WWE RISING STARS & FADING STARS: Sami Wins the Big One, See No Evil, Grey’s Got Grit, Bron Brokken, Paxley is the Next Bliss, (Tiffy) Time’s Up

In the world of WWE, status and celebrity can change with unsettling speed. Bron Breakker and Tiffany Stratton, two of 2024’s hottest breakout stars, are now barely treading water. Sami Zayn, who cooled off considerably in 2024, is ascending new heights.  New stars Kendal Grey, Tatum Paxley, and Naraku have burst onto the scene, with varying degrees of success.

Let’s take a closer look.  As ever, we start with this week’s winners.

Rising Star of the Week: Sami Zayn

After a decade of chasing a world championship on the WWE main roster, Sami Zayn finally captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions.  Since Zayn’s epic championship matchup with Roman Reigns at 2023 Elimination Chamber in Montreal, fans have longed to see him fulfill his quest of winning the title.

We didn’t expect it would be like this.

No longer the ultimate underdog we fell in love with, Sami has transformed into a hypocritical whiner in recent months.  He appears to be a heel who thinks he is a babyface. Much like Drew McIntyre or Bret Hart in his later years, Sami has ample reason to complain but does so in a way that makes him unlikable.

The sincere loser act had gotten old, and Sami was due for a change. He’s made the most of it, his performance being the most intriguing part of SmackDown in recent weeks.  Proving himself to be a master storyteller inside the ring as well as out, he held up his end of an excellent, hard-hitting, unpredictable triple threat match which redeemed the otherwise lackluster Night of Champions.

Sami has finally ascended to the status of a main eventer.  If he continues to perform at this level, he’ll more than earn SmackDown’s top spot and justify the faith of his ride or die fans .

Runner-up: Kendal Grey

Barely two years after her debut match, Grey captured the NXT Women’s Championship on Sunday’s Great American Bash.  No other woman in NXT history has been able to do so with such speed.  Grey followed in the footsteps of fellow amateur wrestling champion Kurt Angle, taking to professional wrestling with remarkable speed. Her offense is crisp and believable, her exchanges seem more like a fight than a dance, and she can sell like a veteran. Her title match with Lola Vice was nothing short of phenomenal, well worth going out of your way to see.

Grey’s weakness is undoubtedly her mic skills, which are much more typical of a rookie. She makes up for this in part by her inherent likability and earnestness, a strong on-camera presence, and great chemistry with her on-screen partner Wren Sinclair.

If she can build and maintain a stronger connection with fans, the sky is truly the limit for this standout talent. Her mic work will determine how fast she gets there.

Second Runner up: Tatum Paxley

Seemingly bound for the main roster at any time, Paxley continues to impress in recent weeks on NXT.  She looked fantastic in her NXT North American Title match against Zaria at the Great American Bash.  Although the outcome was never in doubt to most fans, the two wrestled an exciting match which could arguably be the best of either’s career.

Presented as something of a goth cheerleader, Paxley is a natural fit to be paired with Danhausen, and seems perfect for the type of Bride of Frankenstein character his laboratory might produce.   However, her wrestling ability and natural charisma would place her ceiling far higher—closer to Alexa Bliss.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Fading Star of the Week: Naraku

The New Japan veteran formerly known as Evil came to NXT with a great deal of fanfare.  Shot right to the top, he almost immediately challenged champion Tony D’Angelo, and received a title shot at Sunday’s Bash.  Although there were some wild plot points in the build to the match (Naraku booby-trapped the championship match contract to explode, damaging D’Angelo’s eye and putting the match in jeopardy), the match itself fizzled.

Naraku’s wrestling style is slow and plodding compared to most WWE performers, and his renowned charisma is dulled when he is forced to speak English.  He seems more like today’s Nakamura than the charismatic, hard-hitting version who debuted on NXT in 2016.

Having heard so much about the antics of EVIL in Bullet Club and the House of Torture over the years, this fan can’t help but wonder what all the fuss is about.  Although his vast experience would suggest otherwise, Naraku needs plenty of work if he’s going to make an impact on the main roster.  So far, he’s been a disappointment.

First Runner-Up: Bron Breakker

For the past two years, Breakker has been the golden boy of Monday Night Raw.  He’s been protected by booking, given Paul Heyman as the ultimate mouthpiece, and constantly referred to the top prospect to become a main event star in WWE.  It was easy to believe rumored plans for him to face and defeat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.

Then Oba Femi happened.

Since the breakout success of the Ruler, Breakker’s fortunes in WWE seem to have diminished.  Femi ended up getting the big WrestleMania victory over Lesnar, while Breakker was left off the card, relegated to a run-in.  Paul Heyman has not accompanied Breakker in recent weeks, and upon his return to Raw seems more interested in associating with Lesnar than the Vision.  Breakker and Austin Theory lost their tag team championships.

Regardless, in his feud with his former mentor Seth Rollins, Breakker seemed the strong favorite to go over.  Rollins has shown himself Teflon-like in his ability to absorb losses, and Breakker’s ongoing push requires him to remain protected.

Therefore, it was a shock to many when Breakker lost their rubber match with Rollins at Night of Champions. It’s likely that Rollins needs to be heated up for a major SummerSlam feud, but it’s clear that protecting Breakker is no longer a top priority in WWE booking.  Vision or no, his path to the main event scene is no longer clear.

Second Runner-Up: Tiffany Stratton

Stratton continues to underwhelm in performances on the mic and in the ring.  Her chemistry with potential partner Chelsea Green is almost nonexistent, making it seem unlikely that Green will be able to bring out Stratton’s likeable side (as Alexa Bliss did for Charlotte Flair).

Stratton’s match with Jade at Night of Champions was an embarrassment. The two seemed to struggle with transitions between moves, and the whole affair seemed badly rehearsed.

Stratton held onto the title, but her value as a performer continues to slide.  She’s in danger of losing her mean blond girl spot to Blake Monroe, SmackDown’s new kid on the block who plays the role far more believably.