Words, words, and more words.
My somewhat regular column series looking at the pushes of everyone in WWE, NXT, and AEW continues on. This year, I started things off by looking at the AEW roster, then discussed the NXT roster. Now, it’s time to wrap the series up with the WWE roster. I’m sorry that it took so long to complete the series. I wanted to post this one back in late-July or early-August, but one thing after another kept coming up, and I either had other things that were more time-specific to write about or I didn’t get enough time to get this done during a given week.
Better late than never, I guess.
As always, if you don’t see a wrestler listed here, it’s either because they aren’t wrestling on television or pay-per-view at all, because they’re out with injury and aren’t set to return for a long time, or because they just debuted. I’m only counting matches on Raw, Smackdown, or WWE pay-per-views, so appearances in NXT or on shows like Speed don’t count.
Easy enough to follow along with, so let’s keep it moving.
AJ Styles: There are two different schools of thought when it comes to AJ. On one hand, he’s a nine-time World Champion, through multiple promotions, so there’s reason for people to complain if he isn’t positioned at the top of the card. Then, on the other hand, it’s worth pointing out that he’s 48 years old, has 27 years of pro wrestling experience, and has seen some bad luck with injuries recently. I’m of the thinking that AJ has continued to prove he can still “go” in the ring. He might not be in the prime of his career anymore, but he wouldn’t be out of place if he were in the main event scene today. I think he showed that during his mini-feud with Cody Rhodes last year. Currently, his record on television and pay-per-view in 2025 is 10-8, and he competed for the Intercontinental Title as recently as SummerSlam. While I do like AJ’s feud with Dominik Mysterio, I do think he’s slightly Underpushed. He’d be a lot of fun in a feud with Gunther right now, and I think that should be where he’s at in mid-2025. Getting a match with John Cena before Cena’s retirement is fine, but it’s not quite enough.
Akira Tozawa: Poor Tozawa. If you watched his work with Dragon Gate before he ever signed with WWE, you’d know how good of an in-ring performer he was. I have no doubt that he could still do some really fun things in the ring, but that isn’t his spot on the card. It has been a while since he was made to look good in a WWE ring, and at 40 years old, it’s becoming less and less likely that he will. He’s 0-4 so far in 2025. I don’t think he should be competing for the World Heavyweight Title or anything… although that could be a fun mini-story… but I do think that he and Otis could be a fun “big man and little man” tag team that could eventually compete for titles. Therefore, I have to say that he’s Underpushed right now.
Alba Fyre: When Isla Dawn was released back in February, I wondered what Alba’s future would be. The duo were really good as a tag team, but could Alba succeed on the main roster without Isla at her side? Well, what’s your definition of success? She has a 1-9 record on television this year, which isn’t exactly great. However, she has found a good role as a member of Chelsea Green’s Secret Hervice with Piper Niven. They’re all doing a good job of being entertaining, no matter what they’re doing. Sure, she’s not winning, but I think her push is Just Right. It’s a good spot to be in.
Aleister Black: His return to WWE has been… interesting… to say the least. It started off well, with big pops from live crowds, and him winning his first three matches. Since then, however, he went on to lose his next five matches, even though two of those losses were by disqualification. He finally got back on the winning side of things after three-and-a-half months of losing, so maybe things are looking up. Maybe. Perhaps. I think he’s an easy pick to be in the United States or Intercontinental Title pictures, but that hasn’t happened as of yet. Underpushed. He continues to get a good amount of television time as he works with R-Truth and Damian Priest, but I’d still like to see more from him.
Alex Shelley: A 7-9-1 on television or pay-per-view is obviously something you’d wish was better. It’s nothing special. It’s even worse now because he was winless in his last seven matches before finally winning last week. The last time Alex Shelley was on the winning end of a televised match before this was five-and-a-half months ago. The Motor City Machine Guns had such a hot start when they debuted with WWE, winning the Tag Team Titles in only their third match. Their biggest problem right now is just how deep and talented the tag scene on Smackdown is right now. We saw it with the six-pack TLC Match at SummerSlam. If we get a WWE Draft at some point this year, perhaps shaking things up and spreading the teams out across both Raw and Smackdown could open doors for the Guns again. For now, let’s go with Underpushed. They’re not exactly young guys anymore, so the clock is ticking.
Alexa Bliss: To say that Alexa has had a strange 2025 would be a mighty understatement. She started it off by making a surprise return in the women’s Royal Rumble, which was her first match in over two years. She had a match on the Smackdown after the Royal Rumble, and then nothing for a month, when she would compete in the women’s Elimination Chamber. After that, she was gone for two months, then returned and immediately qualified for the women’s Money In The Bank match. When she wasn’t successful there, she would transition to the storyline she’s in at the moment, which is an “odd couple” pairing with Charlotte Flair that has seen Alexa win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles for the fourth time in her career. A roller coaster ride of a year, to say the least. I’m pretty sure the team with Charlotte isn’t going to be a long-term thing, but right now, it’s hard to say that Alexa’s push is anything other than Just Right. She’s in an important spot, has a championship, is getting plenty of television time, and live crowds are enjoying every bit of it.
Angel: He has a 4-9 record so far in 2025, but with that, he is also having some of the most success that he’s had since signing with the company back in 2019. It doesn’t count here, as it didn’t happen on a WWE-specific show, but he and Berto won the AAA Tag Team Titles at the TripleMania Regia show, and they’ve been doing a really good job of combining the two worlds, even if their title reign ended after just two months. His push is Just Right. He has good performances on WWE programming, even when he’s taking losses, but that role needs to be filled by someone. The work with AAA is very important for WWE and the future they envision, so that’s a good spot for Angel and Berto to be in.
Angelo Dawkins: Dawkins and Montez Ford didn’t have their first match of 2025 until March 14th, but in that match, they defeated DIY to become the new WWE Tag Team Champions. That’s a good start to the year. They would start the year going 5-0 before taking a non-title loss to FrAxiom on May 9th, and that’s where the wheels fell off a bit. Two draws followed the FrAxiom match, which were then followed by them dropping the titles to Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy, and then an unsuccessful attempt at winning the titles back in the SummerSlam TLC Match. A 9-5-2 overall record not only looks strange, but it’s also nothing all that special. It has been a while since the Street Profits were truly used to their potential, in my opinion, and that’s a shame. We’ve seen the seemingly endless amounts of rumors that a split was in the cards for them, and it always seems like a face turn is coming when they’re heels, as well as a heel turn when they’re faces. It’s almost like WWE doesn’t know what to do with them. As one of the best tag teams in the entire world of wrestling, that makes them Underpushed.
Asuka: After knee surgery knocked her out of action for over 13 months, she made her 2025 in-ring debut on the June 16th episode of Raw. That means she doesn’t have a lot to judge her on, but she does have ten matches under her belt over the last three months, with five wins and five losses. She remains one of the best workers of any woman on the WWE roster, but with a poor stretch of injury luck over the last few years and perhaps due to her age (she just celebrated her 44th birthday), her “spot” has almost been given to Iyo Sky. For the time being, I think Asuka is Underpushed. As I said, she’s still one of the best in the game today, but she hasn’t been doing much. After a recent heel turn, the door could be open for her push to change, so we’ll see.
Axiom: A very good argument can be made for FrAxiom being the best tag team in all of wrestling for multiple years running. Axiom’s 4-6-1 record on WWE programming in 2025 is split down in the middle in two relatively even halves. When he and Nathan Frazer were first called up, they won their first four matches, including a win over the Street Profits, who were the WWE Tag Team Champions at the time, in a non-title match. Then… they hit a wall. Their last win was five months ago. While they continue to get a good amount of time in their matches, they’re almost paying the price for being involved in the ridiculously deep tag scene on Smackdown. Let’s go with Underpushed.
B-Fab: It blows my mind that, of the four members of the Hit Row stable, B-Fab is the only one left in WWE. She’s basically just a warm body on the roster right now, prepared to take far more losses than anything else. Without two tag wins with Michin over Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice, B-Fab would have zero wins on the year. In fact, the last time she won a singles match on television was September 14th, 2021… and that was in NXT. As I always say in these things, someone has to lose wrestling matches, and right now, that’s B-Fab’s main role. Just Right.
Bayley: On one hand, Bayley is losing a lot. She went nearly five months between televised victories. On the other hand, though, it isn’t just random losses. Her luck in the ring has become a storyline, and it has people speculating if it’s leading to another heel turn, or at least a character shift. Until it does lead to something, I have no choice but to grade her on what has been happening, and what has been happening is a lot of losses. She’s one of the biggest female stars in the business, but that hasn’t been shown on television for a while, probably going back to her dropping the WWE Women’s Title at last year’s edition of SummerSlam. Underpushed. She deserves better.
Becky Lynch: In my opinion, Becky is the greatest women’s wrestler of all-time. When it comes to the complete package of in-ring skills, mic skills, drawing power, and on and on and on, no woman in the history of the business matches up with her. With that said, I absolutely understand why people have grown tired of her in recent years. For a long time now, it seems like we’re in a never-ending loop of “Becky misses a bunch of time for insert-reason-here, then comes back and is immediately made a champion.” Even a switch to the heel side of things hasn’t changed the cycle. While I do understand the negativity, I don’t fully agree with it. Her push is Just Right. She’s the biggest deal that women’s wrestling has ever seen, so yes, she should be pushed as such. Hopefully, WWE is able to build some stars that can be propelled to the moon by beating her. They tried with Lyra Valkyria, and it worked, but only to a certain extent. Becky is in an important spot, and she deserves to be there.
Berto: Obviously, his entry is going to be the same as his tag partner, Angel. The only difference is that Berto has two televised matches that didn’t involve Angel… both losses, making his record 4-11 on the year. Like Angel, I think Berto’s push is Just Right. He has good performances, even in losses, and has been a very important part of WWE’s working relationship with AAA, even if most of it doesn’t count here for this particular exercise.
Bron Breakker: He’s in an interesting spot, as he has been positioned to be involved in main event stories, working alongside the current World Heavyweight Champion. Even if he lost every match he has, he’s still working television main events, and he continues to be primed for what looks like a future World Title reign. That’s clear, as his 15-10 record in 2025 isn’t what you’d call great on its own, but it hasn’t done anything to hurt his overall standing. I’ve been saying he’s the future of WWE for a long time now, and he’s on the cusp of officially proving me right. His push is Just Right. I don’t have a choice.
Bronson Reed: A 9-8 record in 2025 will tell you that WWE doesn’t quite see Big Bronson on the same level as Bron Breakker, but that record is skewed just a bit by five disqualification losses. At the same time, it’s also skewed in the other direction, because he has been involved in seven straight wins, including a pin over Roman Reigns. He’s still involved in a group and storyline that gets more television time than anything on the Raw brand, and that counts for a lot when it comes to his push. I do think he should be doing more than just going out there and getting DQ loss after DQ loss put on his record, though, so I’m going with Underpushed. After his performance against Roman Reigns at Clash In Paris, I think he showed that he’s capable of so much more than he has been allowed to do. Now that he has followed that up by pinning Roman, perhaps that was the start of something bigger. If things continue to trend in the direction they’re currently going, his push will be Just Right in no time.
Brutus Creed: When it comes to pure in-ring skills, the Creed Brothers are one of the best tag teams on the entire WWE roster, and I think they’ve proven that repeatedly, going back to their days in NXT. Unfortunately, they haven’t proven that they have the right personalities to go with those in-ring skills, and in the world of WWE, that’s a very vital piece of the overall puzzle. With a 1-9 record in 2025, Brutus isn’t doing all that well. He hasn’t been on the winning side of a televised match in nearly four months, and the Creeds have been lost in the mix with the El Grande Americano storyline taking over and featuring numerous people under the EGA mask. I really love the Creeds, but I think their push is currently Just Right. It would be difficult to push them more when they just haven’t found what it takes to click with live crowds yet.
Candice LeRae: She’s currently sitting on a 1-7 record in 2025. Even worse is the fact that her one win came in a six-woman tag… over eight months ago. She has never truly been pushed as anything special during her time in WWE, and that’s a shame. There aren’t many women in the history of the business that are tougher than Candice, but she seems to be more of a “warm body” than anything else. I don’t know what her ceiling would be in WWE, but she’s definitely someone that is Underpushed.
Carmelo Hayes: Underpushed. Easy. Whatever metrics you want to use point to him not being used to his full potential. When he gets the opportunity to work, that’s exactly what he does… WORK. He is one of the more talented in-ring performers on the main roster, but he doesn’t have much to show for it. The last time he won a televised match as a singles competitor was when he won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal back in April. You’d have to go back to the end of February to find the last time he won an actual singles match on television, and that came by disqualification after less than two minutes of action. His pairing with The Miz has had its moments, but Melo deserves better. Their recent split will determine if Melo actually receives better.
Charlotte Flair: Honestly, I think she’s in the perfect spot for her at the moment, even if it’s only a temporary one. Many fans were growing tired of her always being in the picture for singles titles and showing little-to-no character development. Well… she’s not involved in a singles title picture, and she is showing more character development and personality than perhaps ever before. It would be difficult to say her push is anything other than Just Right these days. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts.
Chelsea Green: When you look at her 2-19 record in 2025, you see one of the worst win/loss stats of anyone on the WWE roster. Normally, a record like that would tell the full story about a wrestler, but I don’t think that’s the case with Chelsea. She’s more of a “comedy” wrestler, sure, and that often means they won’t win a lot, but she’s also someone that remains over with live crowds and gets a good amount of television time to work with. She even came into the year as the Women’s United States Champion, and spent the first four-plus months of 2025 with the title. She’s better in the ring than a lot of people give her credit for, probably because her character means that she’s in a lot of bumbling situations. Honestly, I think her push is Just Right. She could win more matches, yes, but the losses aren’t hurting her at all. People continue to love hating her, and that means more chances for her to get her comeuppance.
Chris Sabin: He has a couple matches without Alex Shelley at his side, but they were both in losing fashion. As I mentioned in Alex Shelley’s entry, the last time we saw Sabin on the winning end of a televised match before last week was all the way back at the very beginning of April. I get that the Guns aren’t the youngest of talents anymore, but that doesn’t make sense to me. They have continued to prove they can still “go” in the ring, but they’re victims of an incredibly deep tag team scene on Smackdown. Perhaps another edition of the WWE Draft would help them out, but for now, both members of the Motor City Machine Guns are Underpushed.
CM Punk: A 8-9 record clearly isn’t the best that you’re going to see, but Punk remains one of the biggest stars on the WWE roster. Everything he does, win or lose, is going to be important, is going to get a lot of television time, and is going to be eaten up with a spoon by live crowds all over the world. I’d say that’s a pretty good spot to be in. Whether you like Punk or not… and whether you like Phil Brooks or not… his push is Just Right. He’s one of the rare performers in WWE that transcends wins and losses to remain at the top.
Cody Rhodes: Here’s another name that transcends mere wins and losses. No matter what his record happens to be, Cody is one of the biggest names in the wrestling business today, and is treated as such. The good thing for him, though, is that his record also indicates that. He has a 9-5 record on the year, but he is riding a three-match losing streak. It’s the first time he has lost consecutive matches since he lost in a Triple Threat Match (where he wasn’t the one pinned) on the May 8th, 2023 episode of Raw and then lost to Brock Lesnar at Night Of Champions three weeks later. Sure, Cody didn’t take the pin in one of his three current losses, and one of the other losses was by disqualification, so that “counts” for less, too. Just for fun… the last time Cody lost consecutive matches where he took the pin or submission was back in 2021, when he lost to Malakai Black on the August 4th episode of AEW Dynamite, and then lost to Black again on the September 22nd episode of Dynamite. That’s a really long time. Cody’s doing just fine right now. He’s on top, and he belongs there. Just Right.
Cruz Del Toro: With a 1-4 record, there’s not much to go on here. His one win came randomly on the July 21st episode of Raw, where he and Joaquin Wilde won a Three-Way Tag to earn themselves a shot at Finn Balor and JD McDonagh’s World Tag Team Titles the following week, which they obviously lost. That title shot was also the last time we’ve seen Del Toro on WWE specific television. I couldn’t even tell you the last time he was viewed as something of a big deal on WWE programming. He’s getting more burn on AAA shows these days, but he’s even losing in those matches. If you would like to say he’s Underpushed at the moment, that’s fine, but I’m going with his push being Just Right. He doesn’t win much of anything, but in the rare occasion he does wrestle on WWE television, you at least know you’re going to get some exciting offense before he loses. Those roles need to be filled by someone.
Damian Priest: He has an 11-7-1 record in 2025, so he’s staying active. That’s a good thing. The problem lies in the fact that he hasn’t pinned anyone in five months. His last two victories have been by Disqualification. He continues to find himself in important spots, and his matches tend to get a good amount of time to work with, but him being the World Heavyweight Champion seems like a decade ago at this point. As long as he remains popular with live crowds, he should remain in a prominent spot, and because of that, I’ll say his push is Just Right. Would I mind if he got a bigger push? Not at all. I’m just not sure if it’s coming at any point in the near future.
Dexter Lumis: He and Joe Gacy have been the WWE Tag Team Champions for three months now. In those three months, they have a Disqualification loss, a WrestleMania Ladder Match win where they probably did less than anyone else in the match, and two very disappointing (for multiple reasons) wins over The Street Profits. Not exactly a stellar run. As with everyone in the Wyatt Sicks, there’s almost a curve that you have to grade Lumis on. He’s not having five-star classics every week, but he isn’t supposed to be. It’s all about the character work and visual presentation with them, and they all excel at that. My problem is that they’re more than just “regular” players on Smackdown. Lumis and Gacy are the top tag team on the show, and because of that, I would expect more out of them. Character work and overall presentation are fine, but when you become a champion, you should be delivering more than just that. Lumis and Gacy aren’t. Because of that, I’m going with Overpushed. The Smackdown tag scene is far too deep and far too talented to be championed by a duo that does more than ho-hum five-minute matches on television.
Dominik Mysterio: He’s in such a weird and unique spot right now. The man is still a sniveling chickenshit heel, but he is getting more and more face reactions from all over the globe. Absolutely nothing has changed about the way he is presented on television, but the WWE Universe seems to be falling in love with him. It wasn’t all that long ago when Dom couldn’t even lift a microphone to his face without live crowds booing him out of the building before he could say anything. I think his current push is Just Right. No matter what he does, he is getting more and more over. He has “future World Champion” written all over him, and WWE might have to address that a lot sooner than they may have originally thought.
Dragon Lee: The man who Rey Mysterio once said was the “future of Lucha Libre” has a 5-12 record so far in 2025. That sure doesn’t seem great, does it? If there’s a positive to find, it’s that he has been on the winning side of back-to-back television matches, both tag affairs, and that’s his first winning streak of any kind since last September. Either way, he’s still in a feud with The Judgment Day, which means he’s going to get semi-regular television time, even if that hasn’t translated to many wins. While I think Dragon Lee is insanely talented in the ring, there’s still a bit of a ceiling on him in WWE unless he develops more of a character and/or promo skills. Because of that, I don’t think I have a choice but to say his push is Just Right. He’s still getting more work than a lot of “lower” level WWE wrestlers, and that has to count for something.
Drew McIntyre: He’s still someone that WWE can pencil in as a “spot” main event player, and fans will buy in. Unfortunately for him, he hasn’t really been booked to succeed as a singles wrestler in “big match” situations in a long time. Far more often than not, he’s losing major matches, going back to when Damian Priest cashed in on him to win the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 40. With a 9-11 record in 2025, it further emphasizes where he is. He remains one of the best and most believable heels on the roster, can still talk and work his ass off, and is a very valuable performer. I don’t think that’s going to change until the day Drew decides to retire. He just happens to be vying for the top spot on a show that has Cody Rhodes in said spot, and that’s going to affect his numbers. If you want to say he’s Underpushed, that’s fine, but I’m going with Just Right.
Erik: He came into 2025 as one-half of the World Tag Team Champions, holding the titles until night one of WrestleMania 41. Once they lost the titles, Erik and Ivar pretty much went away. After their feud with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods came to an end, Erik didn’t wrestle on television for three whole months. The War Raiders returned to television in September, winning two six-man tag matches with Penta, and then disappeared again. Honestly, I think I’m going with Underpushed here. The Raiders are so much fun to watch in the ring, capable of mixing it up with opponents of any size and in-ring style. When they wrestle, they continue to win live crowds over, time and time again. When they’re both healthy, Erik and Ivar are absolutely deserving of big pushes, but they just aren’t getting that right now.
Finn Balor: He’s another name that is kind of just floating around, never getting too high and never getting too low. His 8-10 record on the year indicates just that. However, in singles competition, he’s 2-8 so far in 2025, so what is that telling us? It tells me that the company has enough faith in him to go out there and have good matches with anyone, but not enough faith in him to give him a bunch of singles victories. As a matter of fact, Finn hasn’t held a singles title since he lost the United States Title to Austin Theory (back when he was just named Theory) on the April 18th, 2022 episode of Raw. That’s, like, 20 years ago or something. Entirely too long for someone as good in the ring as Finn is. Yes, he has four different Tag Team Title reigns in that span, but I still think he’s Underpushed. He’s still someone that could be a main event guy, and fans would completely accept it. I’d be more than happy to “settle” for him being the United States or Intercontinental Champion, though. He turns 45 years old next year. There’s no telling how much time he has left before he feels the need to hang up his boots. Why not give him another chance to shine as a solo talent?
Giulia: A 5-6 record marks yet another middle-of-the-road effort for a member of the WWE roster, but it has gotten better for her. She won the Women’s United States Title at the end of June, sending her on a small four-match winning streak before losing in a tag match in Australia. It’s funny to me to watch the careers of Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer play out. They signed their WWE contracts at almost the same time, debuted on the same NXT show, and made their main roster debuts on the same episode of Raw. Their names will forever be connected, but if you remember, Giulia was the signing that came in with the most amount of hype. She was the “guaranteed” star, not Stephanie Vaquer. All these months later, and both women are currently champions, but it’s Vaquer that has become one of the top talents in the business, while Giulia has often found himself a forgotten player at times. Outside of her not speaking English fluently (which hasn’t stopped Stephanie Vaquer), what is Giulia “missing” right now? She has everything you would want from an in-ring perspective. That’s why I think she is Underpushed. Putting her in a pairing with Kiana James means that someone can handle the heavy lifting for her in promos, but because Kiana is so far down on the proverbial ladder, that opens the door for Giulia to be on the losing end of more tag matches than she needs to be. I’m not a fan of the idea of putting them together.
Grayson Waller: If you’re looking for a poor record in 2025, can I interest you in Waller’s 0-9? He and Austin Theory picked up a tag win in NXT television (against Oba Femi and Trick Williams, of all people), but we’re not counting NXT programming for this exercise. You need to go back to last August to find the last main roster television match that Waller won, and last June if you’re looking for his last televised singles victory. These days, he’s more of a lackey for Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods than anything else. I do think Grayson is a talented in-ring performer, and I could see him eventually making some sort of a run competing for a midcard title, but for right now, his push is Just Right. He hasn’t built up enough equity with live crowds to have anything more than what he has at the moment. He’s good at being that cocky, annoying heel, and he gets to do that with Kofi and Woods, even though it isn’t leading to much in-ring usage.
Gunther: He is in rarified air on the WWE roster, and has been placed at a level that keeps him at the top of the card. There are two losses on his record in 2025… when he dropped the World Heavyweight Title to Jey Uso at WrestleMania, and then when he dropped the World Heavyweight Title to CM Punk at SummerSlam after he won the title back six weeks after the Uso loss. That means he lost the World Title twice, but that also means he had the World Title twice. There aren’t exactly a ton of people who can say that in 2025. Now, the rumor and innuendo is that he could be on the way back to television to become the one chosen to be John Cena’s final opponent in December. Can you imagine the hype behind him if he ends Cena’s career with a victory? Now, can you imagine the hype if he ends Cena’s career in decisive, violent fashion? It may or may not happen, but either way, I think Gunther is set up really well. Just Right. He deserves to be at the top of the card, and he continues to be the horror movie villain that keeps moving forward, no matter what you throw at him.
Ivar: I said it for Erik, so I need to say it for Ivar… Underpushed. The War Raiders are one of the best, and most entertaining, tag teams on the WWE roster. Far too often, though, they aren’t presented as one of the top teams, if they’re even being presented at all. I’d like to see that change, and change soon.
Ivy Nile: She doesn’t get a chance to wrestle on television very often… an 0-8 record, including two Battle Royals, with no matches in the last three-plus months indicates that… but I have definitely noticed the improvements she has made in the ring. Back in June, she participated in first round match in the Queen Of The Ring tournament, competing with Asuka, Stephanie Vaquer, and Raquel Rodriguez. With all the star power involved, it was Ivy that really stood out and looked better than her opponents. How was she rewarded for that performance? A Battle Royal performance at the Evolution pay-per-view a month later, and then literally zero more appearances in televised matches. She keeps getting better, and if that continues, she deserves a better push. Underpushed. It would be difficult for her to keep growing without opportunities. Give her those opportunities.
Iyo Sky: Michael Cole has been very vocal about the fact that he feels Iyo is the best wrestler, of any gender, in the world today. Everywhere I look, I’m seeing people who feel the same way. Honestly, it’s hard to make too strong an argument against it. All she does is have bangers against anyone placed in front of her, and live crowds all over the world have fallen in love with her for it. Just Right. It couldn’t be anything else.
Jacob Fatu: He has a 9-14 record in 2025, which came as a bit of a surprise to me. My memory just pictured him as being more dominant than that. Even as a face, he only has a 2-2 record this year, with both losses coming against Solo Sikoa. It just doesn’t feel like WWE has capitalized on his soaring popularity properly, does it? A few months ago, there’s no way I would’ve thought I could say that he’s Underpushed, because it seemed like a sure thing that he would get the rocket strapped to his back. There’s obviously still plenty of time for it to happen. I’m just surprised that it hasn’t happened yet.
Jade Cargill: She has an 8-5-2 record on the year, but that record is 8-3 in matches where she isn’t facing Tiffany Stratton, including two wins where Tiffany was her tag partner. Does that count for anything? In all seriousness, Jade has definitely gotten better in the ring. For a while, it seemed like WWE didn’t quite trust her enough to handle singles work, putting her in a tag team with Bianca Belair, who almost always handled the bulk of the work in their matches. Recently, though, not only is she working more singles matches, but she’s working longer singles matches. She hasn’t gotten over the hump yet, but you have to assume it’s only a matter of time until she wins one of the four women’s singles titles on the main roster. Right now, her push is Just Right. It keeps her in an important spot, and has allowed her to get better in the ring.
JC Mateo: We haven’t had a middle-of-the-road record entry in a little while, so how about JC Mateo’s 5-5 record this year? He started off hot, with wins in his first three WWE matches, and wins in four out of his first five matches. It has been all downhill from there, though. He hasn’t had a match on television since August 22nd, and hasn’t had a match of any kind since August 28th. Is he injured? Nothing has been reported saying that he is. He’s at least healthy enough to keep making appearances on television. I’m still waiting for him to be fully unleashed in WWE. He hasn’t really been able to show what made Jeff Cobb such a coveted name over the last several years, and that’s a shame. He’s capable of so much more. Underpushed.
JD McDonagh: He’s 5-7 on the year, but 0-4 in singles competition, so maybe he should tag with people from now on, especially since he is a two-time World Tag Team Champion with Finn Balor. Unlike Balor, though, I think this is the perfect spot for JD. He seems to shine in a tag setting, and he has Finn and Dominik Mysterio in The Judgment Day to pair up with on any given week. Just Right. He’s doing really well for himself.
Jey Uso: This might be the biggest example of just how different the “internet world” is compared to the “real world” when it comes to wrestler reactions. Everywhere you look online, Jey Uso is “overrated” and “can’t wrestle” and all sorts of negative opinions. However, you see and hear the reactions he gets from live crowds around the world every week. He’s one of the few names on the WWE roster that don’t require a particular win/loss record to be received a certain way. That’s why I have his push being listed as Just Right. Live crowds want him, and WWE is more than happy to give him to those crowds, week in and week out. Everything else is merely icing on the cake.
Jimmy Uso: While Jey has taken off and found himself in the stratosphere, Jimmy has yet to even come close to reaching those levels as a singles competitor. Strangely enough, I feel that Jimmy is not only better in the ring than Jey is, but he’s also better on the mic. It isn’t a night and day difference, but it’s a difference nonetheless. What sets them apart, though, in favor of Jey is the magnetic personality that draws people to him. I compare it to Matt and Jeff Hardy. Matt was always a better overall in-ring performer, and was better on the mic, but it was Jeff that had the “it” factor that made him a singles megastar years before Matt reached anything remotely close. It’s not like Jimmy hears crickets when he heads to the ring every week. There’s still time for him to get a bigger push. Honestly, I think he deserves it. He can be on the same path that Jey was on, with a rise up the ranks, and a midcard title reign at some point. From there, you gauge the way live crowds are treating him before deciding if he gets anything more than that. Not only do I think that could work, I think that would work, and that’s why I’m saying Jimmy is Underpushed. We’re coming up on five months since Jimmy won a televised singles match. That’s not good enough for me.
Joaquin Wilde: Since he’s the regular tag partner of Cruz Del Toro, I think it’s only right to have the same thing said here that I said in Del Toro’s entry. Wilde isn’t used on television all that often, and he certainly doesn’t win many matches, but you know you’re going to get some exciting offense from him when he does get his name called. Every roster needs wrestlers and teams to fill those roles. He happens to be one of the names WWE has chosen for that. Just Right.
Joe Gacy: Again, since he’s the regular tag partner of Dexter Lumis, I should probably say the same thing here that I said in my entry for Lumis. The Smackdown tag scene is insanely deep and talented, and yet, the current champions in the division are known for their character work and can’t really be trusted to have matches that don’t feature shenaniganery or last more than ten minutes. That shouldn’t be a thing. Overpushed.
John Cena: Just Right. Easy. He is, by almost every statistical measure, the greatest WWE performer of all-time. His career is winding down, and his “farewell tour” is being treated like the huge deal that it is. Wins and losses don’t matter here, and they haven’t mattered for Cena in a long time.
Johnny Gargano: I get that the Smackdown tag division is crazy deep, but Johnny Wrestling’s record of 1-12-2 on the year doesn’t make any sense to me. One win, coming all the way back at the Royal Rumble? Zero matches on WWE television over the last two months? What are we even doing right now? This is a pretty easy choice of Underpushed for me. You can’t tell me that the gap between DIY and the Wyatt Sicks is that big. No way.
Julius Creed: I get to do it again. Since he’s the regular tag partner for his brother, Brutus, I’ll just repeat what I said in my entry for Brutus. I’m a really big fan of the duo and their potential, but they haven’t really been able to connect with live crowds on the main roster like they did during their relatively brief stint in NXT. It would be difficult to push them any more with that hanging over their heads, so I’m going with Just Right.
Kairi Sane: A 7-8 record… middle of the road once again! It’s actually impressive that she has 15 matches on television or pay-per-view when you consider the fact that she missed the first four-and-a-half months of the year after suffering an arm injury to end 2024. The current storyline she’s involved in has seen her get lost in the shuffle at times, but it’s through no fault of her own. Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, and Asuka are all megawatt stars with over-the-top personalities and presentation, and they’re going to dwarf just about anyone they work with. As good as Kairi is, that’s what is happening. Recent reports have said various WWE Officials are very happy with the work Kairi has been doing during this story arc, and that has to be viewed as nothing but a great sign for her future. Even though she can get lost in the mix, she’s in a great spot. She’s working with some of the best women in the entire wrestling world, and that’s why I’m going with Just Right here, even with her so-so record.
Kofi Kingston: We’re back to the middle of the road, folks. With a 7-8 record on the year so far, it has clearly been a pretty average run for Kofi, and that’s with him and Xavier Woods winning the World Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania. That’s saying a lot. 2024 ended with so much possibility for Kofi and Woods. They turned heel on Big E in December, creating a very emotional moment in the process. However, with E not being medically cleared to return for any sort of physicality, there was no way to truly capitalize on the turn. It wasn’t long before Kofi and Woods were back to somewhat silly ways again. Fans were asking for something different from The New Day for a long time, and just when it looked like they were going to get it, the rug was pulled out from beneath them. Diabolical. You could go in any of the three directions for Kofi, honestly, but for now, I’ll say he’s Underpushed. He hasn’t won a match on television in two months, and hasn’t been involved in a televised tag victory in five months.
LA Knight: 18-20-3. That’s his record so far in 2025. I literally had to go back and check multiple times because I didn’t think that was legitimate. 41 matches on television or pay-per-view, and the day this column goes live to the world will mark the start of the 43rd week in 2025. There’s a pretty good chance that he’ll wrestle on the episode of Raw that airs after I post this column, giving him 42 matches in 43 weeks, without even counting 12 additional matches at live events, and six more post-television dark matches. He’s quite the workhorse this year, made especially impressive because he’s about to celebrate his 43rd birthday and has nearly 24 years of pro experience. WWE is really being dick teases when it comes to pushing this guy. It seems like he has been right on the cusp of being a true main event player a dozen times, and then he’ll lose a big match and move back down the card again. In the past, I’ve been somewhat critical of his in-ring work, saying that it doesn’t really come close to matching his mic skills and character work. I still feel that way, but I’m going with Underpushed here. Live crowds all over the globe are dying for the guy to reach the top of the WWE mountain, and even if he was the worst wrestler alive, those reactions should be enough to the company to give in, but they haven’t. Yet.
Logan Paul: I don’t know how many times I need to say this about Logan, but it’s worth repeating… if he can commit to becoming a full-time pro wrestler, he could/should be a World Champion much sooner than later. He just gets it. As it stands, he’s still more of a part-timer, although he does have nine matches under his belt in 2025. If there’s a “complaint” I have, it’s that he hasn’t won a singles match since he beat AJ Styles at WrestleMania, which was six months ago. To give him more heat (like he needs the help), he should probably be picking up more wins. Because that’s only a minor gripe, I’ll still say his push is Just Right for the time being. Everything he does is treated like a big deal. He’s still learning. He has less matches in three-and-a-half years as a pro (24) than Bron Breakker has had in 2025 (25) so far. Things will come for him.
Ludwig Kaiser: It’s definitely a tale of two halves when it comes to his 2025. As himself, he started the year with a 1-5 record, but then, since becoming El Grande Americano in the wake of Chad Gable’s injury, he has gone 3-1, bringing his overall record to 4-6. Nothing special, of course, but it’s miles ahead of where he was in the first few months of the year. He has proven that he is a very good in-ring performer, but EGA has given him a brand new opportunity to showcase some character work, and he has gotten over because of it. His EGA work has been so entertaining that many people feel he should remain in the role, even after Gable eventually returns from shoulder surgery. All that remains to be seen. Mr. Kaiser’s situation is tough to gauge, though. As Ludwig Kaiser, I think he was a clear case of being Underpushed, as he was never really given the chance to show what he could do in the ring like he did during his time in NXT. When it comes to EGA, he has been given an entirely different opportunity, and has been working on becoming an international star with his work for AAA in Mexico. Do I just say his push is Just Right at the moment and play the “wait and see” game for what unfolds from here? Yeah, I think I’ll do that. There is a lot of potential for him to do huge things as EGA at some point soon.
Lyra Valkyria: When she was in NXT, I wrote that it was crystal clear she was a favorite of Shawn Michaels, who is running creative for the brand. I said that she had the in-ring skills to be a huge star for the company, but that she hadn’t quite been able to make a real connection with the NXT crowds. After she was called up to the main roster, I said the same thing. She was having some really good matches against a variety of opponents, but that connection, and a reason for fans to truly care about her in one way or another, wasn’t where it needed to be. Then, somewhere along the way, she began to make that connection. She began getting more and more over, and that corresponded with her getting a bigger and brighter profile on television. You could say that she’s still a little awkward on the microphone, but I could counter that by saying it’s an endearing type of awkwardness. Her push is Just Right. There’s probably a lot more to come, too.
Maxxine Dupri: She barely made the cut to be included here, only having five matches in 2025. Of those five matches, one was an appearance in the women’s Royal Rumble match, and one was an appearance in the Battle Royal at Evolution. Not exactly a ton to base opinions on. I will say, however, that her match against Becky Lynch a couple weeks ago was the best in-ring performance of her career. She is improving in the ring, even if it’s not as quickly and as dramatically as some would like. Her push is Just Right. She isn’t really getting much of one, but she also isn’t taking much time and space away from anyone else. Harmless.
Michin: I’m a fan of Mia Yim, but every now and then, I completely forget that she’s a healthy member of the WWE roster. The last time she really had anything she could sink her teeth into was around this time last year, when her feud with Chelsea Green led to their far-more-entertaining-than-it-had-any-right-to-be Dumpster Match and then their match for the Women’s United States Title on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Even though she has challenged for that Women’s United States Title four (!!!) times on television in 2025, her profile doesn’t seem as large as it was a year ago. While it would be nice to see the company do more with her, I think her push is Just Right. She’s still getting semi-regular matches, working 15 times so far this year, and as I said, she keeps finding herself involved in the Women’s United States Title picture.
The Miz: He is proof that you can have a career that is underrated, while still being Overpushed at almost all times. His overall body of work is better than a lot of people give him credit for. In all fairness, I’ve absolutely been one of those people at times. At the same time, though, he isn’t someone that is often viewed as elevating those he works with. Think about anyone he has worked with through the years, both as opponents or in a tag team. How many of them can you truly say were better off after working with him? Go ahead. I’ll wait. Most recently, he has been keeping Carmelo Hayes down in their “odd couple” tag team pairing, causing Melo to trend on social media on several occasions, with fans demanding he break free and get a singles push. Miz is definitely a first-ballot WWE Hall Of Famer when he decides to retire, but there’s no reason for him to be doing much on WWE programming right now.
Montez Ford: You know the deal… it’s the same as I said for his tag partner, Angelo Dawkins. The Street Profits are one of the best tag teams in the world today, but it doesn’t seem like WWE has really known what to do with them for a long time now. Are they staying together? Will they split up? Are they faces? How about heels? Underpushed, and by a lot.
Natalya: Here’s a unique situation, with Natalya and Nattie Neidhart being the same person, but with Natalya and Nattie Neidhart being completely different people. Makes sense, right? WWE’s presentation of Natalya has been lacking, and that has been the case for years. She has always been a great technical wrestler, but a lack of personality is a hurdle that she hasn’t regularly been able to clear. As Nattie Neidhart, though, a character shift has allowed her to rely on more of a killer instinct in the ring, where she’s looking to beat the hell out of you and take at least one of your limbs home with her. Even her promos as Nattie have come across better. The Nattie character has been seen on the independents, as well as in her work for AAA, but she’s generally just Natalya when she does show up on WWE television, which isn’t very often. She has a total of five matches on actual WWE programming in 2025… one of which was an appearance in the women’s Royal Rumble match, one of which was in a tag team Gauntlet, and one of which was a Battle Royal appearance at Evolution. As the Nattie Neidhart character, I’d say she’s Underpushed in WWE. However, since we’re talking about the Natalya character, I have to go with Overpushed. Natalya has been in a poorly booked cycle for years, and fans just haven’t been buying it.
Nathan Frazer: Again, you already know the deal… I said it for his tag partner, Axiom, so the same goes for Frazer, too. FrAxiom had a red hot start after being called up from NXT, and then they seemed to hit a wall. When they get to wrestle on television, they’re generally given an opportunity to look good, even in losses. The problem is that they haven’t had a match on television in a month, and they haven’t had a victory in five months. Even in a deep tag division on Smackdown, that’s unacceptable for a duo that has a claim to being the best tag team in the world over the last two years or so. Underpushed.
Nia Jax: There was a time, not that long ago, when Nia Jax was one of the most Overpushed women in all of wrestling. She was bigger and stronger than any woman she faced, but that was it. Her matches weren’t any good, and it seemed like she was hurting someone every month. Then, at some point, the light switch flipped for Nia. Her matches became a lot better, and it seemed like she was really putting in a lot of work to improve. I think she’s in a really good spot right now. Her wins and losses don’t matter much, because she always gets treated like a big deal, based on those size and strength advantages. No matter who she faces, they are viewed as having a major hill to climb to overcome her. Just Right.
Penta: Some fans are twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the seemingly inevitable pairing of Penta and Rey Fenix on WWE programming. Other fans are twiddling their thumbs and waiting for Penta to finally win the Intercontinental Title after failing to win it approximately 29 times since signing with WWE. There are other fans twiddling their thumbs and waiting for Penta to be pushed to the main event scene, feeling like he’s one of the most popular talents on the roster with the in-ring skills to match. That’s a lot of twiddled thumbs. When you consider the fact that Penta isn’t going out there and cutting lengthy promos on a weekly basis to help further his connection with live audiences, I think he’s in a pretty good spot. It feels like he’s going to be the Intercontinental Champion at some point, and it also feels like he and his brother are going to reunite and set the tag scene on fire. His merchandise is doing really well, and he even gets publicity outside of wrestling thanks to people like San Francisco 49ers Tight End George Kittle, who adopted the “zero miedo” hand sign on the field. Eventually, I do think that Penta could be considered Underpushed, but right now, his push is Just Right.
R-Truth: I debated whether or not he should even be included here, as he hasn’t had a match on television in over three months. If he were anyone else, I probably wouldn’t include him, but because he had some special circumstances, here he is. Remember back when he was released from his WWE contract? Or, “released,” as some people believe. Remember the outrage that people had? He was brought back right away, with WWE basically saying “our bad,” and was one of the most over talents on the roster, with a new, serious version of his character. Then, John Cena’s heel turn fizzled out (thanks, Dwayne), and just like that, Truth was back to being the silly comedy character that he had been for years. It’s still an act that is over, but when he became Ron Killings again, WWE had something potentially special on their hands. He could’ve been given a midcard title, or even… gasp… competed for a World Title, and live crowds would’ve eaten it up. Unfortunately, that never happened. Can I say that R-Truth is being pushed Just Right, but that Ron Killings is/was Underpushed? No? Fine. Just Right. He’s one of the best comedic acts that WWE has ever had, and he is still beloved for it, so I guess there’s that.
Randy Orton: Here’s someone that could lose 20 matches in a row, but if he came out the following week and challenged for the World Title, fans would eat it up. At the moment, we’re in a “will he or won’t he” story, with many fans expecting he’s going to turn heel on Cody Rhodes at some point. It wouldn’t surprise me if he does just that, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if he stayed face, as fans all over the globe adore him. If he does turn heel, perhaps the company will wait until John Cena officially retires, letting Orton’s turn breathe a bit and not be overshadowed. That would be a good idea, honestly. Right now, Orton’s push is Just Right. Nothing too crazy, but it doesn’t need to be. He’s one of the all-time greats, is treated as such, is received as such, and will always have something important going on.
Raquel Rodriguez: If Kevin Nash wasn’t already on Raquel’s Christmas list, he needs to be. After Big Kev went public with some constructive criticism about things Raquel needs to do and improve on to better take advantage of her natural size advantages, she seems to have taken it all to heart. She is wrestling differently, and might be on the biggest hot streak of her career because of it. With a string of entertaining matches, and plenty of television time with her Judgment Day crew, it’s hard to say her push is anything other than Just Right.
Rey Fenix: The poor guy seems to have a new tag partner every few weeks, doesn’t he? All while the person everyone wants to see as his tag partner… his brother, Penta… is on another show. Life is a cruel mistress sometimes. Rey is clearly positioned as more of a tag wrestler. He doesn’t get a ton of action in singles competition, but when he does, it usually doesn’t end well for him. His last televised singles victory was nearly six months ago. He also doesn’t have the same type of charisma that his brother has, which helps Penta shine in singles or tag scenarios. I do think he’s Underpushed, though, simply because of what I said before… he hasn’t been able to get his footing because he had his pairing with Andrade pulled through no fault of his own, and his team with Je’Von Evans is on-again and off-again. If you’re going to push him as a tag wrestler, either find a way to put him with his brother or give him something full-time and dependable that he can work with. He’s one of the most exciting performers in the business today. That part won’t be a problem.
Rhea Ripley: What more could you want from Rhea? She has become one of the biggest stars in the business, regardless of gender, and has become so popular that titles don’t even matter. It has been almost eight months since she was a champion of any kind, but that has done no harm to her, and the mood in an arena still changes when her music hits. Just Right. She is exactly where she belongs on the card, and has earned her spot.
Roman Reigns: You can probably count on one hand the number of people who can truly make a claim to being the biggest star in all of wrestling today. Roman is one of those people. No matter how you feel about The Bloodline story, Roman’s work schedule, or anything else, all that matters is how WWE treats him and how live audiences receive him. Listen to the crowd reactions he gets. Look at the positions he’s in when he’s around. He belongs at the top, and that’s where he is. Just Right.
Roxanne Perez: While “The Prodigy” loses a lot more matches than perhaps she should, it’s hard to say that she isn’t in a good spot these days. The Judgment Day are guaranteed to get a good chunk of television time every week, and she always seems to be involved in the Women’s Tag Team Title picture on top of that. Not bad for someone who is still 23 years old for the next two weeks. Her push is currently Just Right. Eventually, though, I would like to see her get a nice singles push, but I think that will come sooner than later.
Rusev: A 6-4-1 record isn’t terrible by any stretch, but it just doesn’t feel like what we thought we would get when Rusev made his WWE return back in April. I don’t know if anyone thought he would be a World Champion within six months of returning, but I think most people expected more than what he has been given, that’s for sure. After he proved in AEW that he could really excel with his promos, he hasn’t had many opportunities to shine with his talking since returning to WWE. He was built up for a shot at Dominik Mysterio’s Intercontinental Title, but then he lost, and that’s where we are now. Would it surprise me if he does eventually take that title from Dom? Not at all. Would it surprise me if, sooner than later, Rusev is working in the main event scene? Not at all. Would it surprise me if, sooner than later, Rusev can’t even get on television for weeks at a time? Not at all. That’s the problem. For now, let’s say he’s Underpushed. There was a lot of momentum when he returned, and it hasn’t really led to much of anything.
Sami Zayn: Well, his Open Challenge series sure was fun while it lasted. I just wish it would’ve gone on for a bit longer. He is still one of the most popular acts in all of wrestling, though. I’m just wondering where he goes from here. I think the story is there, and the timing is right, for him to finally make the jump to the top of the card. If you asked 100 WWE fans who they think is going to win the 2026 Royal Rumble, I’d be willing to bet that Sami’s name comes up more than just about anyone, and the fact that the event will take place in Saudi Arabia, where Sami will have a “home field advantage” with the crowd. The WWE Universe, no matter where they’re from, has been ready for Sami to make that leap for a long time now. Until he does make the leap, though, I’m going to say he’s Underpushed. As much as I enjoyed the Open Challenge matches, he should be doing bigger and better things.
Santos Escobar: It was recently reported that he was leaving WWE because his contract was going to expire, and then, out of nowhere, it was reported that he quietly re-signed a new deal. I don’t know how much money he’s making, but it must be a pretty decent chunk of change, as he certainly didn’t re-sign with WWE because they’re pushing him to the moon. He hasn’t had a match on television in nearly six months, and he hasn’t had a televised victory in nearly 15 months. I think he’s really talented, and I do think he could do more than what WWE has allowed him to do. However, there’s not enough of a connection between him and live crowds to make a sustained push worthwhile right now. His job is to go out there and be entertaining in a loss, as well as to help the working relationship between WWE and AAA go over smoothly. That’s fine. Just Right.
Seth Rollins: Normally, I wouldn’t even include him, as it was just reported that his arm injury is serious enough to keep him out of action for a few months. This is Seth Rollins we’re talking about, though. Is he even really injured? We sure thought he was injured last time, and it ended up being a super duper swerve. Because there’s still a weird possibility that the company is tricking us again, I’m keeping Seth in this column. As of this moment, he’s still the World Heavyweight Champion, and is the top guy on Monday Night Raw. He was getting a ton of television time because of that, and due to him leading The Vision for a while. If he is sticking around, or even if his injury isn’t as serious as initially reported, I think it’s pretty safe to say that his push is Just Right. He has a claim to being the best wrestler in the world today, and he deserves to be in a major spot. If he is heading for a lengthy stint on the shelf, I guess we’ll have to see how long he’ll be gone, and what will happen upon his return.
Sheamus: His record is 5-6 on the year, putting him right in the “middle of the road” group. The man is a couple months away from turning 48, so you have to wonder if his time is quickly winding down. I think he’s still more than capable of having an important role on WWE television, but it doesn’t really seem like WWE agrees. Sheamus is in that spot where he regularly beats any lower-tier opponents he faces, but he’s probably going to lose everything else. For a lot of people, there’s nothing wrong with a spot like that. I don’t know if that’s the case for Sheamus, though. He can still “go” in the ring, and he still has live crowds behind him. If he was involved in the Intercontinental Title scene, fans would buy in, like they did at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, when Sheamus was attempting to take the title from then-champion Bron Breakker. It’s even possible that he could work out as a challenger for a World Title, with the right opponent and the right story. Outside of some international house show events, the last time Sheamus challenged for a World Title was when he was involved in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Title in 2021. That was nearly five years ago. It’s even worse when you want to find the last time he challenged for a World Title in a regular singles match was on the January 4th, 2016 episode of Raw, when he tried to defeat Roman Reigns for Roman’s WWE World Heavyweight Title. It has been a full decade?!? We need to change that. Underpushed.
Shinsuke Nakamura: Unless he goes on the craziest run of all-time over the next two months or so and wrestles 27 times, he is going to finish 2025 with the lowest number of matches worked since his pro debut year of 2002. He’s not around very often, but when he does come around, like he did when he answered Sami Zayn’s Open Challenge, crowds are loving it. I think he could be used more than he is, but I also think the days of him being a regular, full-time talent are unfortunately over. He’s coming up on his 46th birthday, and all those years of working the grueling Japanese schedule have put a lot of miles on his tires, so to speak. I wouldn’t argue if you wanted to say he’s Underpushed, but I’m going to go with his push being Just Right. Bring him back every now and then, get a good pop, have a fun match, and then move on to something else.
Solo Sikoa: Anything even remotely resembling The Bloodline is way beyond its expiration date unless Roman Reigns is directly involved, and even then, people are wanting the company to move on. Solo and his MFT group aren’t exactly setting the wrestling world on fire, and I truly fear that this feud that is being teased between them and the Wyatt Sicks could set tag team wrestling back several decades. At the moment, I think Solo is Overpushed, because I think he needs something newer and fresher to work with. It’s weird to say someone is Overpushed when they haven’t won a match in three months (he hasn’t even wrestled in nearly two months), but here we are.
Stephanie Vaquer: From the moment she made her official main roster debut back in April, she has been presented as a huge deal. Even without being able to cut a bunch of lengthy promos, she carries a special aura that has helped her connect with fans all over the world. As one of the best in the business right now, she deserves to be at the top of the WWE women’s division, and that’s where she is. I have to go with Just Right.
Tiffany Stratton: Before losing to Stephanie Vaquer at Crown Jewel, you’d have to go all the way back to the December 13th, 2024 episode of Smackdown to find the last time Tiffany lost a televised singles match. Her opponent on that night? Michin, of all people. In her first match of 2025, Tiffany defeated Nia Jax to win the WWE Women’s Title, and she remains the champion, nearly 300 days later. As one of the best pure athletes on the roster, no matter the gender, she continues to impress as she picks up more and more of the sport after only beginning her career less than four years ago. I like where she’s at, and I’m interested to see where her career goes from here. Just Right.
Tommaso Ciampa: I said it for Johnny Gargano, so it applies here, too… this is an easy choice of Underpushed. Even with all the talent in Smackdown’s tag team scene, you can’t give Ciampa more than two wins (one of which was a singles match) in 2025? That doesn’t make any sense to me. It makes even less sense when you consider how strongly Ciampa and Gargano were booked when they were in NXT. You know… when Triple H himself was the man in charge there.
Xavier Woods: If I said it for Kofi Kingston, I need to say it here… Underpushed. Yes, it’s unfortunate that Woods and Kofi weren’t able to make magic with their heel turn like they could’ve done if the story allowed for Big E to return to the ring and seek revenge on his former brothers, but even beyond that, zero wins in five months is pretty crazy. Nothing? At all? Come on.
Zelina Vega: I feel that Zelina has been underrated for a long time. People focus far too much on the fact that she isn’t exactly the largest woman in the world, and not enough on what she actually does in the ring. Of course she’s a petite woman, but it’s not like she’s being booked to throw people like Nia Jax and Raquel Rodriguez around in physically dominant fashion. An 8-6 record puts her right in the middle of the road discussion, but she does have a two-month reign as the Women’s United States Champion this year, giving her a leg up on many of the other women on the roster. It’s a fine spot to be in. Maybe her profile changes now that she has been paired on-screen with her real-life husband, Aleister Black, but for now, her push is Just Right.
We did it. It took considerably longer than I wanted it to, but we finally got through the “Overpushed, Underpushed, or Just Right” series. Give yourselves a round of applause. You deserve it after having to read the approximately 2.4 million words I typed out for the series.
What are your thoughts on the current WWE roster? Are there any names that you completely disagree with me on? Who are some names you feel are Overpushed, Underpushed, and being pushed Just Right? As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Now, let’s get to my Weekly Power Rankings before closing things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Brodido vs Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita: Four of the best wrestlers on the planet today, bringing a wide range of in-ring styles, putting on a tag team clinic. I like that the issues between Okada and Takeshita came to the forefront and helped lead to them losing the match, as it gets us closer to Okada vs Takeshita. We’ve seen them compete against each other in a Four-Way and Three-Way matches, but never in a one-on-one setting. That could be magical.
Sami Zayn vs Ilja Dragunov: I write a column about who I want to see Sami face in his Open Challenge series, and then he drops the United States Title in his very next match. Of course. This was fantastic work from both men, and about as good a way to reintroduce Dragunov as you can get.
Jurassic Express vs The Young Bucks: If you want in-ring chemistry between tag partners, this one is for you. The Bucks have been together for the last 36 years, and Jurassic Express wrestle like they’ve been together for the last 36 years. It’s also worth mentioning just how popular Luchasaurus is with AEW crowds. If AEW had him win the World Title this week, the crowd would explode. He’s super over.
Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed: When Paul Patrol was put in a group with Seth Rollins, everyone assumed it was a way to groom one, or both, of them to become main event players at some point down the road. Thanks to a Seth Rollins injury, the timeline was moved up a bit, and now B&B Music Factory are on their own after turning on The Vision’s leader and putting him on the shelf. Time to sink or swim. At one point, it was Bron Breakker that was the surefire World Champion material. Now, with Bronson Reed having a ton of momentum after defeating Roman Reigns, both men look like they’re going to be inevitable. This should be fun.
Konosuke Takeshita: Congratulations to the brand new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, who used the title shot he earned by winning the G1 Climax tournament and defeated Zack Sabre Jr. to win the title. This is huge for him, as well as for AEW, and the possibilities are endless for what can happen with him and the title.
Kyle Fletcher vs Mark Briscoe: If there’s a “negative” to find, it’s that there was no mystery surrounding the outcome. Ideally, you want any title match on pay-per-view to carry some sort of “either competitor could win this” mystique. The match was still really fun, though, carried by Fletcher’s skillset and Briscoe’s incredible connection with the fans.
CM Punk vs LA Knight vs Jey Uso: A fun way to crown a new #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title, only for more questions to pop up, now that Seth Rollins may not be around to defend said title. I guess we’ll have to watch Raw to find out what WWE has planned.
Dominik Mysterio vs Penta: I’m pretty sure this was Penta’s 29th unsuccessful attempt to win the Intercontinental Title since signing with WWE, but at least the match was still good, so there’s that.
Kenny Omega & Jurassic Express vs Josh Alexander, Hechicero & Mark Davis: I wish Omega had more to do these days, but I understand that AEW is taking it easy with him and not putting his health and career at risk by completely unleashing him. These types of matches are great for him at the moment, allowing him to look good, but also allowing his partners to handle some of the heavy lifting.
“Hangman” Adam Page vs Samoa Joe: There wasn’t really a story behind this World Title match, as it was sloppily thrown together at the last minute. That’s at least part of why it didn’t end up being as great as the average AEW World Title match on pay-per-view is. Now that Joe and The Opps have turned heel and attacked Hangman, there’s more of a story for people to sink their teeth into. A rematch at Full Gear seems likely, and perhaps that match will end up being better.
Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs Sol Ruca & Zaria: It sure does seem like WWE has big plans for Sol and Zaria in the future. Even when they lose on Smackdown, it comes after an impressive performance that sees them both look good.
Kris Statlander vs “Timeless” Toni Storm: Both women worked hard, and they did a good job. They just happened to be competing in a place on the card that almost always sees a dead crowd. AEW pay-per-view crowds are always loud in the beginning, but about halfway through the show, they seem to tire themselves out, and there will be a lull for a match or two before things pick back up for the final stretch. Pace yourselves, folks.
Rhea Ripley vs Kairi Sane: Another good performance in a long string of them for Kairi, who is still fighting not to get lost in the shuffle in the storyline involving Rhea, Asuka, and Iyo Sky.
Tatum Paxley: She won a Battle Royal in clever fashion to become the new #1 Contender for the NXT Women’s Title. Even through she is aligned with a heel stable, the NXT crowds still like her, and they popped big for her victory. With Jacy Jayne still being viewed as a “weaker” champion, could a title change be on the horizon?
This Week’s Playlist: “DON’T KILL THE PARTY” by Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J & Quavo… “DECEMBER 31ST” by Ty Dolla $ign, A$AP Rocky & Tommy Revenge… “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” by Teddy Swims… “Eazy” by Bone Thugs N Harmony & Lil Eazy-E… “SAN ANDREAS” by Tommy Richman… “Sunk Your Teeth In” by The Veer Union… “Gone” by The Hollow… “Brown Sugar” by D’Angelo… “Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine” by D’Angelo… “Cruisin” by D’Angelo… “Lady” by D’Angelo… “Send It On” by D’Angelo… “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” by D’Angelo… “WooPin and Troopin” by D-Boy 223… “U Understand” by Juvenile… “Set It Off” by Juvenile… “The Man He Sees In Me” by Luke Combs… “Forever After All” by Luke Combs… “Perfection” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus… “Obsessed” by Charlie Puth & Shenseea… “The Wire” by HAIM… “Delulu” by Muni Long… “More Than Words Can Say” by Alias… “Thriller” by Michael Jackson… “Beat It” by Michael Jackson… “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson… “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson… “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” by Michael Jackson… “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson… “Give In To Me” by Michael Jackson
