SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
With winter weather keeping us indoors and disastrous stories of war and unrest keeping us off the news, we’re fortunate to have wrestling as an enjoyable diversion.
Even better, WrestleMania season is in full swing!
The ebb and flow of wrestling regularly elevates new performers while seeing past stars sidelined or forgotten. These changes are especially pronounced in the leadup to the Show of Shows.
Who’s on the rise?
Rising Star of the Week: Randy Orton
Fresh off a major Elimination Chamber win and a consequential heel turn, Randy Orton is more relevant than he has been in years.
Orton seems increasingly motivated, having given an inspired promo on Smackdown in which he laid bare his aspirations to become world champion again. Add in a vicious extended beatdown to the top babyface in the company and we have ourselves a rejuvenated Orton.
Orton’s appearance on Raw involved a reference to his conversation with “someone with a brain” who reminded him of who he is. This suggests a potential alliance with an unknown third party. Who is anyone’s guess, but The Rock comes to mind as an exciting possibility and might fit Orton’s cryptic reference to wrestling’s Royal families.
Orton has become such a beloved legacy star in recent years, it may be a real challenge to get fans to boo him against Rhodes. Given Orton and Rhodes’s limitations, a five-star classic match at WrestleMania seems unlikely. Still, the two have lots of history to draw from, and their feud is off to a blazing hot start.
Does Orton have a truly great run left in him? We’re all about to find out.
Runner-up: Oba Femi
Forget his dominating win over Rusev on last week’s Raw. Femi dominating Brock Lesnar in their first encounter is more than just a vote of confidence from WWE Creative—it represents the biggest push for a newly elevated wrestler we’ve seen in years.
Should Femi triumph over Lesnar at WrestleMania, as seems likely, he’ll be a made man.
With a rocket strapped to his back, expect a rapid ascent to the main event scene for The Ruler.
Second Runner up: Penta
Penta’s undeniable charisma and unique look make him a rare commodity in WWE. Since debuting on Raw in January of 2025, he’s been largely relegated to the midcard. He’s delivered in match after match but has been afforded relatively little in the way of major feuds. Penta’s limited English skills are the most likely reason for his limited involvement in storylines, but he more than makes up for this with his body language and intensity.
Many fans have longed to see him in a more important position higher on the card.
We finally got our wish. After a year’s wait, Penta is now a champion.
If his match against Dragon Lee was any indication, we’re in for an exciting series of title defenses. If he can show he’s able to carry his part of a major storyline, Penta will prove worthy of his spot, and capable of visiting the main event scene to boot.
Although Mysterio had once called Lee the “future of Lucha Libre,” my money’s on Penta.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Fading Star of the Week: Solo Sikoa
Sikoa’s act has suffered greatly from being distanced from his Bloodline kin. Although his mic work showed flashes of brilliance in 2025, he does not have the charisma to carry a stable, particularly one lacking competent talkers.
His seemingly endless feud with the Wyatt Six has done even more damage. After four months of constant conflict, neither group has been able to obtain an advantage over the other. Worse, the feud appears to be centered around Uncle Howdy’s lantern, of all things.
Fans have been forced to sit on our hands and wait for the whole thing to blow over.
Sikoa clearly needs a change.
First Runner-Up: El Grande Americano
Who is the real El Grande Americano?
Who cares?
This gimmick only ever really worked as a case of cultural appropriation, with Chad Gable heelishly impersonating a Mexican luchador in order to mock and outmaneuver his luchador rivals. Consequently, Gable’s charade was impersonated in turn by Ludwig Kaiser.
It seems we are expected to accept Gable’s original Americano as a babyface, as if we had any real affection for this version of the gimmick.
What results is a never-ending storyline with little to no crowd investment, wasting the talents of two top wrestlers.
This feud and gimmick are way past their expiration date and must be wrapped up ASAP.
For Gable, for Kaiser, and most of all for us fans.
Second Runner-Up: Bianca Belair
Belair reached an all-time career high with a show-stealing triple threat match against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky at WrestleMania 41. Capable of unrivaled physical feats, enjoying vastly improved ring skills, and able to emotionally connect with fans, the EST lives up to her hype and is arguably WWE’s most valuable female star.
A hand injury during that match has kept Belair out of action ever since. Nearly one year later, there is no known timetable for her return, and she is expected to miss her first WrestleMania in 6 years. No other injury, save perhaps Kevin Owens’s, was more damaging to WWE’s product in 2025.
For such a star to miss a year of action at the height of her career is nothing less than tragic.
Here’s wishing her a rapid recovery and a strong post-WrestleMania return.
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