Ranking WWE and AEW's Early Winners and Losers of 2026
Through the first quarter of 2026, there have been several stars in WWE and AEW who have taken opportunities to elevate their stars, perform up to the moment, and remind fans why they are at the top of their professions in the first place.
There have also been those who have faltered, their plans to excel on the grand stage adversely affected by outside forces or lackluster performances of their own.
As March passes its halfway point, these are the biggest winners and losers in WWE and AEW through the early portion of the year.
Loser No. 5: Chad Gable/Original El Grande Americano
1 of 10
Chad Gable made what should have been an enormous return at the Royal Rumble, confronting the impostor El Grande Americano and kicking off a rivalry that should have been red-hot.
Instead, it has been lukewarm, at best, and even then, that may be an insult to lukewarmness.
The momentum the former 2012 Olympian had before the shoulder injury suffered last summer is non-existent and the crowd has not taken to the masked luchador gimmick quite like it did earlier in its run.
The result has been a disappointing comeback that has some calling for a return of Gable instead of his masked alter ego, in hopes of rejuvenating a run that was as hot as any when it suddenly and abruptly ended over Money in the Bank weekend in 2025.
Winner No. 5: Rhea Ripley
2 of 10
Mami is back in singles title contention entering WrestleMania 42, where she will challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's Championship in a match with the potential to steal the show on whichever night she competes.
Ripley entered the year in the middle of a tag team run with Iyo Sky that saw her and her partner deliver some stellar performances, including in the January 6 victory over The Kabuki Warriors for the gold.
As great as that pairing is, one that WWE should absolutely revisit from time to time, Ripley is one of the company's biggest stars, and utilizing her in a singles run where she can potentially regain gold on the biggest stage the industry has to offer is the right call.
That she has the potential to deliver another Match of the Year candidate if Cargill proves up to the task is another major plus for both the Eradicator and WWE.
Loser No. 4: Damian Priest
3 of 10
Entering WrestleMania 40 in 2024, Priest was in the midst of a tag team title reign with Judgment Day teammate Finn Balor, but he exited the biggest show of the year as the world heavyweight champion after successfully cashing in Money in the Bank.
He is nowhere near the world title two years later. In fact, he has taken several steps back, teaming with R-Truth, with a chance to capture the SmackDown brand's WWE tag team titles from The MFT's Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga by way of a No. 1 Contender's Match win.
While some would be excited for a title match of any kind on what is sure to be a jam-packed WrestleMania card, it is such a considerable step back for Priest, who was engaging in an intense rivalry last year with Drew McIntyre, that it is impossible not to recognize him as one of the bigger losers of the first quarter of 2026.
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Winner No. 4: Andrade
4 of 10
Andrade has enjoyed a career renaissance since returning to AEW, where he has delivered some of his finest in-ring performances in recent memory. El Idolo has battled the best and brightest the company has to offer and has not disappointed, reminding fans of how truly great he can be when motivated and given the opportunity to compete consistently.
Sunday night at Revolution, he reaffirmed as much, delivering a banger of a match against Bandido in which he secured the victory as he pursues championship gold with the promotion.
It remains to be seen if he can permanently penetrate the main event scene given the wealth of talent at the top of the card, but if so, do not be surprised to see Andrade tearing it up alongside Hangman Page, MJF, Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega, and Will Ospreay in show-stealing match-ups as he continues an electric start to what could be a banner year.
Loser No. 3: Giulia
5 of 10
WWE still has yet to figure out how to utilize Giulia and present her undeniable aura.
Sure, she is the reigning United States champion and is gearing up for a WrestleMania showdown with Tiffany Stratton, but she is only a third as effective an on-screen character as she should be.
A superb wrestler who carries herself like a star, Giulia is currently second-fiddle to her associate, Kiana James, and is carrying a secondary title instead of competing for the top prize in the SmackDown women's division.
She wins some, loses others, and has no recognizable momentum to speak of, a major detriment to her usage by the creative team.
Unfortunately, that does not appear to be changing anytime soon, and as a result, she appears destined to land back on any future incarnations of this countdown until she separates from James and is allowed to be the star seemingly everyone, but those in power know her to be.
Winner No. 3: Thekla
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Thekla has lived up to the hype, entering AEW and taking the women's division by storm.
The Austrian-born wrestler and former STARDOM competitor is the reigning AEW women's world champion and is fresh off a successful title defense Sunday night at Revolution against Kris Statlander.
A wrestler who has delivered in all facets, from her in-ring performance to her character work and presentation, she looks like the next breakout star of the division and someone the company can build its women's roster around for the foreseeable future.
How she builds on this success, and what opponents AEW has lined up for her, will ultimately determine how long she can be considered a legitimate winner on Future editions of this list.
Loser No. 2: LA Knight
7 of 10
How many shows in a row does a man have to generate one of the loudest reactions of the night, only to be denied by WWE Creative?
It is a question that has become all too prevalent when discussing LA Knight, one of the most popular stars on the WWE roster, but consistently beaten down by subpar creative and denied a spot at the top of the card.
A performer who oozes charisma and has the fans in the palm of his hand every time he steps through the curtain, he has tasted the main event scene but only in short bursts before dropping back into the midcard.
Look no further than his rivalry with The Vision, which has seen him presented as a top-tier babyface at times and, at others, as a tackling dummy designed to put more heat on the heels rather than sympathy for his own character.
He could easily explode into the upper echelon of talent post-WrestleMania but there is nothing about the way he has been booked over the last three years that suggests it would be a permanent stay in the main event scene to suggest fans should be excited about that prospect.
Winner No. 2: MJF
8 of 10
The reigning AEW world champion narrowly survived a Texas Death Match against Hangman Page Sunday night, leaving Los Angeles with the top prize in his company in his possession and continuing what has been an extraordinary start to 2026.
MJF has become the nucleus of a loaded AEW scene, fending off challenges from the likes of Page, Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega, and others, while surviving unexpected challenges from young competitors like Kevin Knight.
All the while, he has remained the most intriguing and captivating performer on the roster, thanks to his willingness to invest himself in his wholly unlikable heel persona.
Add to that a blossoming Hollywood presence and you have a legitimate star who lives up to the billing, delivers the best promos in the company, and routinely backs it all up when the bell rings.
The re-emergence of Will Ospreay and the impending return of Omega should provide him with fresh new opponents in the coming months, too.
Loser No. 1: Drew McIntyre
9 of 10
Drew McIntyre kicked off 2026 by winning the WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes, defeating The American Nightmare in a 3 Stages of Hell Match following interference from Jacob Fatu.
All he did with that title was defeat Sami Zayn in Saudi Arabia at the Royal Rumble, then proceed to interfere in all of Rhodes' matches, making his life a living hell and do whatever it took to ensure he would not have to face him for the gold again.
Except, he did, and he lost to Rhodes. Thanks again to interference from Fatu.
McIntyre's title reign was a joke, a brief pit stop on Rhodes' road back to WrestleMania and the main event. That is not an indictment of the biggest babyface on the show, but rather the creative team's understanding of what makes McIntyre effective and how best to utilize his star power on the show.
He has been beaten down, made to look like a fool, gifted a "here, take it, damn" title reign, and now enters WrestleMania 42 in a lame duck rivalry with Fatu. It is a tremendous step down for the Scottish Warrior when it appeared, at least for a considerable period of time, as if he might enter the biggest show of the year with the top prize in the company.
Now, not so much.
Winner No. 1: CM Punk
10 of 10
The Best in the World is in the midst of one of the greatest runs of his career.
The reigning world heavyweight champion is delivering some of his best in-ring work, a throwback to a bygone era of gritty professional wrestlers, and accentuating it with his mic work.
The best promo in WWE in 2026, he has carried the majority of his rivalry with Roman Reigns, which will culminate in the WrestleMania 42 main event, while also managing a feud with Finn Balor over the title.
Throw in the reintroduction of the Bloodline story via his manipulation of The Usos on Monday night on Raw, and you have a guy thriving as the undisputed face of WWE Raw on Netflix.
Punk has almost always been great, but his ability to be the champion, treat the title the way that it should be, deliver in the ring and on the mic, and almost singlehandedly set the stage for the biggest main event of the year is otherworldly.
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