Ranking WWE's 10 Best Men's and Women's Wrestlers of 2025
WWE featured extraordinary talent across the men's and women's divisions in 2025, with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch rising to the top, respectively, while others like CM Punk and Lyra Valkyria chased them.
Jey Uso achieved singles success while the man he defeated for the top prize on the Raw brand quickly got his win back. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky tore houses down, Naomi shined, and Stephanie Vaquer took the wrestling world by storm.
Then, there was John Cena, who spent 12 months saying goodbye to the fans who grew up with him.
In reflection and review of the year that was, these are the 10 best men's and women's wrestlers of 2025.
Note: Roman Reigns was ineligible for this list due to his inconsistent appearances this year.
Honorable Mention: Men's Division
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The Vision
Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed were faced with the biggest pushes of their careers post-WrestleMania 41, when they were partnered with Seth Rollins in The Vision. All they did was make the most of it, routinely opposing top stars like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Jey Uso en route to booting their leader out and seizing control of the faction. Entering 2026, they look like the central heels of a dominant act on Monday nights, if not world champions.
Penta
One of the most charismatic performers on WWE in 2025, Penta exploded onto the scene and wasted little time becoming one of the most popular stars in the company. Whether he was mixing it up in tag team action, competing for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania, or flirting with the top of the card, he did so as a major merchandise seller and one of the true breakout stars of the year, his momentum halted only due to a late injury.
Honorable Mention: Women's Division
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Chelsea Green
Anything the reigning United States champion touched in 2025 turned to gold, her ability and willingness to entertain the audience however possible endeared her to them. Despite dropping her title to Zelina Vega, she regained it by defeating Giulia and setting herself up for the continuation of a feud with the Beautiful Madness entering 2026. An invaluable asset to the company due to her character work, Green continues to exceed expectations and get over with audiences.
The Kabuki Warriors
Upon Asuka's return over the summer, The Kabuki Warriors wasted little time re-establishing themselves as the lead antagonists in the Raw women's division. Despite early hesitation from Kairi Sane, the duo has since targeted Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky consistently, and the reigning women's tag team champions find themselves in the cross hairs of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, as well as Nia Jax and Lash Legend, all of whom are targeting their gold. Their work, both in the ring and out of it, has helped elevate a tag division that badly needed it.
Nos. 10 - 6: Men's Division
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10. Drew McIntyre
Even in a relatively "down" year, McIntyre was still pretty damn impressive. Whether he was defeating Damian Priest at WrestleMania, feuding with Randy Orton, or partnering with Logan Paul to defeat The Viper and musician Jelly Roll, The Scottish Warrior stayed busy. His year-end rivalry with Cody Rhodes cemented his status as one oft he 10 best of 2025 and his place on this countdown.
9. LA Knight
No male Superstar wrestled more matches on WWE television than LA Knight this year. Couple that with a consistent presence in top-tier matches and rivalries, including those with Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, CM Punk, and The Vision, and you have a guy who feels as close to preeminently entering that main event stratosphere as ever before.
8. Logan Paul
In 2025, the often insufferable Paul did battle with AJ Styles, CM Punk, John Cena, Jey Uso, Roman Reigns, LA Knight, and Rey Mysterio, and most recently joined The Vision in its battle with the top babyfaces on the Raw brand. A performer growing increasingly confident in his abilities in his third year as a wrestler, Paul has seen stature on WWE programming grow and that is a trend likely to continue well into the new year.
7. Dominik Mysterio
The second-generation star took a massive step forward in 2025, striking gold at WrestleMania in a moment that highlighted how much fans appreciate his character via their monster response to the victory, then proved that he could stand out from the rest of the Judgment Day pack as a legitimate star on his own. He also competed against John Cena in three of the legendary competitor's final four matches, an exclamation point on a year in which Mysterio proved that he is, at the very least, one of the faces of WWE's future.
6. Jey Uso
A Royal Rumble win, his first World Heavyweight Championship, overwhelming popularity, incredible merchandise sales, and a consistent main event spot on Netflix should have been more than enough for Uso to crack the top five. Unfortunately, a lackluster and short world title reign, coupled with some questionable creative decisions, and a lack of evolution of the character bogged down the second-half of his 2025. A return to the tag team division with brother, Jimmy, suggests his singles run may be on hold, too, as the new year approaches. Still, an outstanding year for a beloved star.
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Nos. 10-6: Women's Division
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10. Roxanne Perez
The most prolific in-ring performer in the women's division in 2025, Perez made the jump to the women's division and immediately made an impact as a member of The Judgment Day. A fantastic in-ring worker already, The Prodigy flexed some of her character work, moving in on Dominik Mysterio in Liv Morgan's absence. With the latter back and closely aligning herself with Perez, expect a rivalry between the two in the new year and a greater role for one of the best young talents in pro wrestling.
9. Charlotte Flair
The Queen had a tumultuous start to her year, returning at the Royal Rumble, winning the match, and being booed out of the building the next night. A WrestleMania loss to Tiffany Stratton did not help matters, but an unlikely pairing with Alexa Bliss breathed new life into a one-dimensional character and helped Flair rejuvenate her relationship with the audience. Her star power elevated the tag team division and is a big part of why that part of the roster is thriving entering 2026.
8. Lyra Valkyria
Valkyria kicked off the year by becoming the inaugural women's intercontinental champion, then proceeded to enter a feud with Becky Lynch that elevated her star exponentially. Taking advantage of the opportunity presented to her, the Irish-born competitor showed off her verbal skills, proving she could hang with a star of The Man's caliber in the ring and on the mic. An ever-evolving partnership with Bayley defined the last third of the year and should lead to significant story (and career) developments in 2026.
7. Jade Cargill
Cargill's long-awaited championship victory just narrowly pushes her past Valkyria for the No. 7 spot. A monumental return at Elimination Chamber, a heated rivalry with Naomi, and a story arc that saw her lose her first two championship opportunities against Tiffany Stratton before turning heel and winning the gold, helped her reach the heights many expected for her from the moment she put pen to paper with WWE. How she builds on it in 2026 bears watching and could see her finish significantly higher next year.
6. Tiffany Stratton
Stratton started the year by capturing the WWE Women's Championship by cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase. She teamed with Trish Stratus in victory at Elimination Chamber, defeated Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, and bested Stratus in singles competition at Evolution. Somewhere along the line, Stratton lost momentum, though, then lost her title to Cargill, leading to her spot outside of the top five to close out the year.
Men's No. 5: Cody Rhodes
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Make no mistake about it: The American Nightmare was still QB1, the top star in WWE and the guy at the top of the food chain.
Feuds with Kevin Owens, John Cena, Logan Paul, and Drew McIntyre kept him plenty busy and always in the WWE Championship picture. Whether defending or challenging, Rhodes was at the forefront.
So why is he only at No. 5 on this year-end list?
Simple: he did not have the creative support in 2025 that he had in the previous two years, when he was easily a top one or two star in the company. He headlined a SmackDown brand that was, for all intents and purposes, the least consistent brand in WWE and his marquee rivalry with Cena underwent massive changes that resulted in a Match of the Year candidate at SummerSlam, sure, but did not allow him the standout year that fans had become accustomed to from the second-generation star.
Ramped up intensity in the McIntyre storyline to close out 2025, though, has him trending back in the right direction and should help him kick off the new year on the right foot.
Women's No. 5: Naomi
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Naomi is currently on maternity leave, expecting her and Jimmy Uso's first child together, but before she was forced to relinquish the Women's World Championship, the veteran performer enjoyed a career year.
First came a heel turn that saw her become deliciously evil, flexing her acting chops and showcasing her emotions in a way fans had not seen from her before. She threw herself into the character, made that all-important connection with the audience, and enjoyed her hottest run to date.
A feud with Cargill elevated her star but it was her Money in the Bank victory, and successful cash-in on Iyo Sky at the Evolution PLE, that catapulted her to the forefront of the women's division.
Fans appreciated that she changed things up, brought a different side of herself to the show, and they reacted in kind, showing her the type of appreciation a performer of her stature has earned.
It is unknown if she will return to the squared circle at all in 2026, but when she is ready to step back between the ropes, Naomi will be greeted with open arms and ready to build on the foundation she laid in 2025.
Men's No. 4: Seth "Freakin" Rollins
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Had injury not struck in October, Rollins likely would have finished the year even higher than he did here.
After all, he won the main event of WrestleMania Saturday, defeating Roman Reigns and CM Punk while aligning himself Paul Heyman. The leader of The Vision, he became the featured heel on the Raw brand, a chief antagonist for the most popular WWE Superstars.
Then there was the feigned knee injury that allowed him to return unexpectedly at SummerSlam, cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, and dethrone Punk as world champion just moments after The Best in the World captured the title.
The shoulder injury suffered by Rollins against Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia significantly derailed what was the best main event run The Architect had enjoyed since his initial singles run with The Authority.
If there is a silver lining, it is that the shocking betrayal perpetrated by his proteges, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, should allow him to return as a monster babyface in 2026 and make a push for the No. 1 spot on the men's list.
Women's No. 4: Rhea Ripley
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All Rhea Ripley did in 2025 was emerge as one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling, a performer recognized away from the squared circle, with merchandise infiltrating Hot Topic stores and her likeness across social media.
Between the ropes, she wrestled a legitimate Match of the Year candidate against Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania, teamed with Sky, then battled her again at Evolution in a banger of a main event. A better-than-expected match with Raquel Rodriguez at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, and a successful showdown with the Kabuki Warriors in her home country of Australia only strengthened her resume.
Oh, and she kicked off the year by defeating Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship on Raw's Netflix debut on January 6.
If anything, it is a testament to the other three women ranked ahead of her and the year they had more than a knock on Ripley and hers that she ended up at No. 4.
Men's No. 3: Gunther
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If it was not for a so-so start to the year, and a lengthy absence from the company while undergoing nose surgery, Gunther would have easily hit one or two on this list.
Instead, The Ring General settles for the No. 3 spot, fresh off of retiring John Cena and emerging as the biggest heel in professional wrestling. The Never Seen Seventeen is not the only legendary competitor he retired in 2025, either. He sent Goldberg out to pasture, too, putting an end to the career of the WCW icon.
He did all of that when he was not world heavyweight champion, a status he held twice in 2025.
A questionable tap-out loss to Jey Uso at WrestleMania halted his momentum but he got that win back in short order, avenging the loss and regaining the top prize on the Raw brand.
He lost it to CM Punk at SummerSlam but as the year comes to an end, he has something even better than a championship at this point: genuine, old-school heat from fans that would rather see him run over by a Mack truck than accomplish another brag-worthy feat.
If played right by the creative team, Gunther could very well be the easy top Superstar in WWE in 2026, with a chance to become a villain the likes of which we have not seen in decades.
Women's No. 3: Becky Lynch
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Nearly a decade after her main roster call up, Becky Lynch accomplished some of her finest work in 2025.
She returned at WrestleMania 41, won the tag team titles, then dropped them right back to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez the next night, a defeat that served as the emphasis for her heel turn that same night.
From there, The Man unleashed a new persona on fans; a ranting villain who blamed everyone and everything else for her shortcomings, spouted conspiracy theories, and tweeted in ALL CAPS, not unlike a recognizable political figure.
Her character work, and dedication to it, was next level and infuriated fans. Meanwhile, her in-ring work was as great as ever, including two fantastic premium live event matches with Lyra Valkyria that helped elevate the young Irishwoman to the next level of competition.
Recognized by B/R as the greatest women's wrestler in WWE history (though lots of people are saying it), she reinvented herself again and found a new level to rise to, again proving that the best performers know how to keep themselves relevant, even when the entire focus of the creative efforts are not on them.
Men's No. 2: CM Punk
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Punk had one of his best years under the WWE umbrella in 2025, kicking the year off with a high-profile, Netflix debut main event against Seth Rollins, then riding that rivalry into the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber.
Throw in Roman Reigns and Punk got his first WrestleMania main event, a Triple Threat Match that was among the one or two best matches of this year's Showcase of the Immortals.
He lost that contest to Rollins but remained a lead protagonist on Raw, where he routinely found himself embroiled in battles with Rollins, Breakker, Reed, and even Logan Paul as his war with The Vision ensued.
Along the way, he captured two World Heavyweight Championships, and teamed with his wife, the returning AJ Lee, in a moment that likely meant as much as either of this title wins.
The reigning world champion as the year comes to an end, a date with Breakker for the gold on the first show of 2026, Punk figures to remain a significant part of WWE's plans for the new year and one of the stars around whom top stories and feuds are built.
Women's No. 2: Iyo Sky
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Iyo Sky captured the Women's World Championship in March, successfully retained it against Ripley and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 41, and became a standard-bearer for excellence between the ropes in the Raw women's division.
More importantly, Sky achieved unprecedented popularity in WWE, connecting with fans in a way she had struggled to earlier in her main roster career.
An emotionally fueled feud with The Kabuki Warriors has dominated the second-half of her year, with The Genius of the Sky forced to choose between new friend, Ripley, and her old Damage CTRL teammates.
To this point, she has chosen Ripley and the two of them have a shot at dethroning Asuka and Kairi Sane for the women's tag titles to kick off the new year.
Heavily featured in the promotional materials for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, it does not appear as though management is willing to let Sky's momentum bottom out, setting the stage for another monumental year for the Japanese-born competitor.
Men's No. 1: John Cena
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John Cena's retirement tour was not perfect. There were creative audibles from the jump, an ill-fated heel turn, and a controversial conclusion to his legendary career with the finish to his match against Gunther.
Never did Cena throw a fit, refuse to do something, or be anything but the guy that he has always been. He absorbed every change, made the most of it that he could and along the way, carried WWE through a choppy 2025.
Cena, long the face of the company and the guy leading the way through some rough patches, once again assumed the role of conductor and led the way, his final year of competition and everything that went along with it the only true consistent across WWE programming this year.
Proving once again that he had an unbreakable bond with the audience that few others did, he rose to the occasion and gave the fans everything he had en route to one last dance on December 13.
Along the way, he revisited rivalries with Randy Orton, R-Truth, and CM Punk. He danced with Cody Rhodes in two premium live event main events, and gave Logan Paul and Dominik Mysterio a taste of what it feels like to be in the ring with a star of his magnitude and amid the noise and fan excitement that comes with it.
In a year when the press was not as good as it had been under the new regime, and fan sentiment had definitely turned more negative, Cena gave everything he had to the company before quite literally leaving his sneakers in the ring to signify the end of a tour of duty; a job well done.
For that reason, and probably a little nostalgia, Cena takes the top spot one last time.
Women's No. 1: Stephanie Vaquer
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Stephanie Vaquer spent 2025 winning, building her star, and becoming the leader of the Raw women's division.
La Primera entered the year as the NXT women's champion, wowed fans on the Raw After WrestleMania in a match with Iyo Sky, and made her permanent main roster debut shortly thereafter.
One of the best wrestlers in the world, she got over with audiences based on her in-ring ability and the aura with which she carries herself when entering arenas across the globe.
At Wrestlepalooza in September, the company's debut on ESPN, Vaquer defeated this countdown's runner-up, Iyo Sky, to win her first Women's World Championship.
While some will argue that the Chilean competitor did not have the signature WrestleMania victory to her name, or that her main roster accomplishments were not enough to justify her place at the top of the list, Vaquer excelled at two different levels of competition, seamlessly made the jump to Raw, has risen to the occasion, and continues to perform at a high level.
A program with Nikki Bella, a Hall of Famer, has elevated her star and has Vaquer in a position to be a massive contributor entering 2026.
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