Oba Femi, Trick Williams and WWE, AEW Stars in the Perfect Spot Right Now
There will always be those that could be booked better.
WWE and AEW have their fair share of underutilized talents at the moment, and fans are quick to criticize any company for not doing more with them. What doesn't get talked about nearly as much, however, is the handful of names who are actually excelling in their current spots.
In WWE specifically, several Superstars have been called up to the main roster since WrestleMania 42 and have already found their footing. Sol Ruca, Ethan Page, Ricky Saints and Joe Hendry have been welcome additions to their welcome rosters and should be successful sooner rather than later.
AEW has also had a few standouts so far this year who deserve to be recognized for the great work they've done and the waves of momentum they find themselves riding as we approach the second half of 2026.
The following seven stars from WWE and AEW are in the perfect spot right now.
Oba Femi
1 of 7
From the moment Oba Femi formally debuted in the men's Royal Rumble match back in January, it was clear he was being positioned as a massive star.
Going into WrestleMania 42, he racked up a string of wins before answering Brock Lesnar's open challenge. He laid him out almost every week before beating him in clean fashion at the event.
It was the perfect way to kick off Night 2 of WrestleMania and usher in a new era of dominance for one of the promotion's brightest prospects. The crowd reaction alone to Femi indicated he was a made man.
He proceeded to issue open challenges of his own before being attacking by a returning Lesnar on Monday's Raw. The two are now set to wage war once again at Clash in Italy, and even if Lesnar avenges the loss on that show, Femi will still be in a perfectly solid spot.
He has adapted to the main roster exceptionally quickly and could believably be world champion by SummerSlam, provided WWE plays their cards right and doesn't drag out the inevitable.
Darby Allin
2 of 7
Darby Allin went from what felt like a never-ending feud with The Death Riders and The Dogs to AEW World Championship glory in a mere matter of days.
Although the way in which he won the prestigious prize from MJF on the post-Dynasty edition of Dynamite was heavily criticized by fans online, he wasted no time in proving himself as a fighting champ by taking on all comers.
From Kevin Knight and Brody King to Pac and Sammy Guevara, Allin has had an excellent variety of matches with everyone he has stepped inside the squared circle with. It was always apparent that he'd have a shelf life with the title, but he's made the most of it by wrestling every week until the wheels fall off.
All signs point to him dropping the belt back to MJF in their Title vs. Hair match at Double or Nothing this Sunday, but Allin's month-long title reign has effectively made him the most interesting and exciting he's been in ages.
The key will be ensuring he continues to kill it even when he isn't champion, because being the biggest workhorse in AEW has been the perfect role for him.
Becky Lynch
3 of 7
Turning heel was the best decision Becky Lynch could have made upon returning to WWE at WrestleMania 41.
It led her to doing some of her strongest work both in the ring and on the mic against the likes of Lyra Valkyria and AJ Lee. It also saw her reinvent herself as a character and raise the importance level of the Women's Intercontinental Championship.
Fresh off her latest title triumph at WrestleMania 42, she's in prime position to keep shining a light on the Women's Intercontinental title and work with other fresh faces on the roster. She knocked off Iyo Sky in a super fun match last month on Raw before transitioning into a program with newcomer Sol Ruca, who she'll battle at the next Saturday Night's Main Event.
Regardless of the outcome, the endgame is bound to be Lynch putting over Ruca and establishing her as someone the fans should be taking notice of. It may not be long after that she's back in the mix for the Women's World Championship as well, so she'll remain a focal point of Raw's women's division for the foreseeable future.
Thekla
4 of 7Thekla has been a revelation in AEW over the last year.
Her first few feuds with Queen Aminata and Jamie Hayter helped him gain some steam before she set her sights on the AEW Women's World Championship. She eventually captured the title in February from Kris Statlander and has been a force to be reckoned with ever since.
Her matches are consistently entertaining, but the promos are where she's really flourished. She's become more comfortable as a character and has made everyone else in the division look inferior in comparison.
The Toxic Spider will have her hands full with three challengers in the form of a four-way match at Double or Nothing this weekend, but it would be booking malpractice for her to lose the title while she's still on such a hot streak.
Even with all the notable names she's toppled so far, there's plenty more for her to do while champ. She's holding down the division in the absence of Toni Storm and is doing a phenomenal job despite not having been on the roster for a full year yet.
Penta
5 of 7
Penta is among the few ex-AEW stars WWE has managed to handle extremely well since his hot debut at the onset of 2025. Although he was directionless for a decent chunk of the year, he always elicited a strong reaction from the crowd whenever he was on Raw, which has been fairly consistently.
He picked up his biggest win to date in March when he dethroned Dominik Mysterio as Intercontinental champion. He's gone on to defend the title on a number of occasions in the past two months, including in a star-studded six-man Ladder match at WrestleMania 42.
Penta is organically over and never ceases to amaze between the ropes. It's possible he'll lose the title to Ethan Page when they collide at Saturday Night's Main Event, but Penta's spot as a regular on Raw doesn't appear to be in jeopardy in the slightest.
It's unknown whether he'll ever ascend to the main event scene, even as an occasional challenger to a world championship, but he's a recurring part of the flagship show these days and an important part of its deep midcard.
Kevin Knight
6 of 7Kevin Knight had an exemplary first year in AEW alongside Mike Bailey in the tag team ranks, but his impressive showing in the Continental Classic back in December meant big things were in store for him in 2026.
Despite being unsuccessful against Swerve Strickland as well as in two bouts where the AEW World Championship was on the line, Knight came across like an absolute star in defeat every time. He then finally clinched his first taste of singles gold at Dynasty when he reigned supreme in a Casino Gauntlet match to become AEW TNT champion.
He's been having enjoyable title defenses while also staying in the world championship conversation. That all but confirms that AEW has major plans for him in the remainder of the year, potentially culminating in him winning a world title.
Knight's early enough into his run that there's no need to rush him to the top of the card, but AEW is doing everything right with him in the meantime.
Trick Williams
7 of 7
Some Superstars are simply made for the main roster, and that was clearly the case with Trick Williams when he surfaced on SmackDown at the beginning of 2026.
He was supposed to be portrayed as a heel, but his above-aver mic skills, infectious charisma and undeniable connection to the crowd made him a fan favorite almost overnight. He was booked as a heel going into WrestleMania 42, but it reached a point where his popularity was too much to ignore any longer.
Williams walked out of WrestleMania the new United States champion and retained the title against Sami Zayn at Backlash. Similar to Oba Femi on Raw, he's been heavily protected on SmackDown so far this year and it's paid off wonderfully.
The blue brand is as creatively inconsistent as it's been in years, yet Williams is always one to watch for. He's a fantastic fit for the star-spangled prize and is only elevated by his alliance with Lil Yatchy.
He'll have his time in the main event spotlight down the road, but for now, he's exactly where he needs to be.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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