Grading WWE and AEW's Early Winners and Losers of 2025

It has been an eventful year for WWE and All Elite Wrestling, with both companies earning rave reviews for their television product and the wrestlers themselves showing up and showing out when the opportunities have appeared.

Some have made the most of early 2025, riding momentum to the top of the card and high-profile spots on pay-per-views, while others have struggled creatively or failed to recognize when something is not working and make the necessary changes.

Who are they and how did they grade out in this review of the first three months of the year?

Let's take a look.

Jey Uso

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Jey Uso carried the momentum from his breakout 2024 into the new year as one of the most popular names in all of professional wrestling and one who appeals to all age demographics.

The kids love him and buy his merchandise, and adults respect him because they have watched his journey from tag teams to singles stardom.

The fanfare led him to the men's Royal Rumble match on Feb. 1 and an upset victory when he last eliminated John Cena to cash his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 41 and a date with world heavyweight champion Gunther.

Not even the ficklest fan could dampen a monumental start to 2025 for the former intercontinental champion, who will now head to Las Vegas with the intention of taking the top prize on Raw.

With the very real potential for that to occur, 2025 is looking like a career year for a man who was once asked while teaming with his brother, Jimmy: "Which one are you?"

Grade: A

Jon Moxley

Credit: AEW

Jon Moxley may be all over AEW programming as its world champion, but he is also the flattest and stalest character in the company at the moment and someone fans are begging to see dethroned.

The leader of the Death Riders speaks in riddles, uttering plenty of words but saying nothing. His matches are mostly the same and have been marred by incessant interference.

Most recently, the main event of Revolution against Cope was a mess that saw Christian Cage cash in his guaranteed title opportunity, only to lose in mere minutes after being choked out by AEW's resident tough guy.

Moxley's shtick has grown old, with the lack of progression in the Death Riders storyline and his character particularly dragging down what have otherwise been steadily improving episodes of Dynamite and Collision.

From a wins and accomplishments standpoint, he would grade out relatively high. From a creative (or lack thereof) one, it has been arguably the worst stretch of Moxley's career not involving a gas mask.

Grade: D

Bianca Belair

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Bianca Belair exploded back into singles contention early this year with a victory in the women's Elimination Chamber match that cashed her ticket to 'Mania and a date, as of now, with Iyo Sky for the Women's World Championship.

Add to that the latest chapter in a "whodunnit" storyline involving a sneak attack on Jade Cargill and a stellar in-ring segment with Naomi in which The EST of WWE flexed her acting muscles to much acclaim, and you have a wrestler who is poised to return to form as an elite WWE Superstar in 2025.

Already one of the better wrestlers in the division, with a knack for saving her best for the biggest moments, a match with Sky (and potentially Rhea Ripley) at WrestleMania will go a long way toward further establishing her legacy at the event, where she is already undefeated.

The next question is whether Belair turns heel amid subtle changes to her on-screen attitude, but that is better left for discussion after The Showcase of the Immortals.

Grade: B

'Timeless' Toni Storm

Credit: AEW

There are plenty of performers in any form of entertainment who would rest on their laurels and ride a successful persona into the ground if it meant continued success.

Toni Storm is not one of them.

Returning to AEW late in 2024 as the upstart rocker fans first saw in the British independent scene, she racked up a few victories before earning herself a championship opportunity against rival Mariah May.

After being poked and prodded by the vindictive villain, The Glamour attacked her, causing Storm to transform back into the "Timeless" incarnation of her character.

The result was a return to championship gold with a victory over May at Dynamite Grand Slam. She retained the title in a Match of the Year candidate "Hollywood Ending" against May at Revolution that saw both women ramp up the violence and bring a suitable conclusion to what may have been the best-ever storyline in AEW.

A virtuosa performer who meshes the showmanship of entertainment and sport of professional wrestling, she has continued to keep fans invested thanks to her clear understanding of her character and how it fits in the world of AEW.

Grade: A

Drew McIntyre

Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images

Through no fault of his own, Drew McIntyre has had what can only be described as a disappointing start to 2025.

The two-time WWE champion has been one of the best and most engaging wrestlers in any company for well over a year. But as the new year dawned and plans for WrestleMania 41 began to take shape, it became clear he was on the outside looking in at the top of the card.

Since then, creative choices suggest the Scot will battle another top star of the last year without much happening creatively at the moment, Damian Priest, in Las Vegas on April 19-20.

It is a disappointing development for someone who was such a critical part of Raw throughout 2024 and whose work more than earned him a more significant role at The Show of Shows.

Unfortunately, when WWE has excelled at creating characters and stars that fans want to see, there is only so much room for them all. As a result, there will always be a handful of names that are not in positions most believe they should be.

Grade: C

Mercedes Moné

Mercedes Moné was the most maligned AEW wrestler entering 2025, a megastar who never quite caught on as expected with the so-called "AEW sickos."

Maybe she was too glitzy? Too glossy? She may have been too polished and WWE-like to really fit in the way others who had worked on the indies for years had.

Whatever the case, it looked like Moné may not be the blockbuster signing AEW President Tony Khan thought she was.

Except, there is no substitute for excellence between the ropes, and The CEO has that in spades.

Fresh off a series with Kris Statlander that ended her 2024 on a high note, Moné had a stellar contest with Mina Shirakawa at Wrestle Dynasty, then followed it up with great showings against Yuka Sakazaki, an outmatched Harley Cameron, and Momo Watanabe.

Along the way, those deafening criticisms became quieter, with fans recognizing and respecting the quality of her work when it mattered most, even if there was still much-needed character exploration to be done.

As 2025 continues, one can only hope Moné and Khan will evolve the CEO persona because it is far too one-dimensional for a professional wrestler who has repeatedly proved to be both a revolutionary and one of the best in her profession.

Grade: B