2025 is in the history books, and many WWE Superstars would be glad that the year was over. On the whole, it was an eventful year for the Stamford-based promotion as they landed important deals with Netflix and ESPN, earning significant financial gains over the last 12 months.
Established talents like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and John Cena had a fantastic year. The WWE Universe also witnessed the breakout period of some rising stars. Dominik Mysterio, Bron Breakker, and “Big” Bronson Reed rose to the top of the card. However, 2025 was not so kind to several prominent names on the roster.
On that note, let’s look at five stars who had an underwhelming 2025.
#5. AJ Styles
“The Phenomenal” AJ Styles is considered one of the greatest in-ring competitors of his generation. The Ace of TNA has ruled the ring wherever he has gone, but time is running out on Styles’ prolific wrestling career.
Although the Phenomenal One found championship success alongside Dragon Lee, a legend of his caliber should have done more as a singles competitor. The former WWE Champion made a surprise return during the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble match, but failed to make much of a difference in the bout.
Soon, Styles entered a feud with the social media megastar, Logan Paul. The feud never really got going, and the Maverick defeated the Phenomenal One at WrestleMania 41: Night Two. Over the summer, Styles chased the Intercontinental Championship, but he failed to win the belt despite challenging the champion, Dominik Mysterio, several times.
On a positive note, Styles got to face John Cena in the Never Seen 17’s final wrestling match overseas. Although the Phenomenal One lost, the match was described as a “love letter to professional wrestling.”
Fortunately, his alliance with Dragon Lee bore significant fruit. The duo of Styles and Lee won the World Tag Team Championships from the Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and JD McDonagh. They were fighting champions and lost their titles to the Usos in the final RAW of the year.
