{"id":149134,"date":"2025-12-22T06:00:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T11:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=149134"},"modified":"2025-12-22T06:44:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T11:44:28","slug":"wwes-top-5-male-superstars-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/22\/wwes-top-5-male-superstars-of-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE&#8217;s Top 5 Male Superstars of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>2025 is almost coming to an end. Only one and a half weeks of mostly taped WWE programming remain. The last twelve months have been the ultimate rollercoaster ride for the Stamford-based promotion.<\/p>\n<p>It was the first year of WWE RAW on Netflix. In September, beginning from WrestlePalooza, PLEs became exclusive to ESPN. However, in terms of the quality of the programming, it was a mixed bag. Nonetheless, amid all the chaotic booking and landmark business deals, a few stars achieved considerable success in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>On that note, let&#8217;s look at the top 5 male Superstars of 2025. Considering the depth of WWE&#8217;s current roster, it wasn&#8217;t easy to precisely narrow down the top 5, which is why there are a few honorable mentions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dominik Mysterio<\/li>\n<li>CM Punk<\/li>\n<li>Bron Breakker<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149152\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149152\" style=\"width: 386px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-149152\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/Dominik_Mysterio_RR25-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"Image of WWE's Dominik Mysterio\" width=\"386\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/Dominik_Mysterio_RR25-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/Dominik_Mysterio_RR25.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149152\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by Diego Serrano, CC BY 2.0 via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Dominik_Mysterio_RR25.jpg#\/media\/File:Dominik_Mysterio_RR25.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>#5. Jey Uso&#8217;s Most Successful Year in WWE<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Although he ends the year as one half of The Usos, &#8220;Main Event&#8221; Jey Uso had a breakout year as a singles star in 2025. His push into the stratosphere of WWE proved controversial in hindsight, but it gave the talented and hardworking Samoan his due.<\/p>\n<p>Uso began the year on a monumental high by winning the stacked 2025 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble, outlasting an all-star field that included John Cena, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk. At WrestleMania 41: Night One, he did the unthinkable by making Gunther tap out to the Ring General&#8217;s own submission move, the Sleeper Hold, to win the World Heavyweight Championship.<\/p>\n<p>The World Title run didn&#8217;t last long, ending under two months as Uso dropped the championship back to Gunther on the June 9th edition of RAW. Over the next 6 months, Uso flirted with the World Title and was a focal point in the red brand&#8217;s main event scene.<\/p>\n<p>Once upon a time, it was hard to tell The Usos apart. However, following a successful 2025 that saw him climb to the top of the WWE mountain, everyone knows &#8220;Main Event&#8221; Jey Uso now.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jey Uso wins the Men&#039;s Royal Rumble Match: Royal Rumble 2025 highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C_HrQoKTZu4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#4. Cody Rhodes Proved that he is the Quarterback<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This past week on SmackDown, a bold and confident Cody Rhodes told SmackDown General Manager that he is &#8220;QB 1&#8221; and was above the law. If the last twelve months are any indication, it is hard to disagree with Rhodes.<\/p>\n<p>The American Nightmare began the year with a courageous performance in an all-time Ladder match with Kevin Owens at Royal Rumble 2025. This match was an absolute war. Over the next few months, Rhodes went through a rough patch as he lost the WWE Championship to a heel John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 41: Night Two.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, Rhodes&#8217; misery didn&#8217;t last long as he quickly returned to his winning ways. The American Nightmare successfully teamed with Jey Uso to defeat Cena and Logan Paul at Money in the Bank 2025. A few weeks later, he defeated his mentor, Randy Orton, to become the King of the Ring, earning a WWE Title match against the &#8220;Never Seen 17&#8221; at SummerSlam.<\/p>\n<p>In the main event of SummerSlam: Night Two, Rhodes defeated Cena in an instant classic to regain the WWE Championship. Cena had passed the torch to the American Nightmare, who was now the company&#8217;s certified face. The last quarter of 2025 was a mixed bag for Rhodes as he was locked in an underwhelming feud with Drew McIntyre. Nonetheless, the American Nightmare ends an eventful year as the WWE Champion.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes | Undisputed WWE Title Street Fight: SummerSlam 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kVQTnQk4g4g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#3. Seth &#8220;Freakin&#8221; Rollins Further Strengthened his Portfolio in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Heading into 2025, Seth Rollins had already proven himself as one of the most important stars of his generation. Nonetheless, Rollins, currently on the injured list, comes out of the year as a more prolific competitor.<\/p>\n<p>After playing second fiddle to Roman Reigns and CM Punk in their program, the Visionary bagged a shocking win in the Triple Threat main event of WrestleMania: Night One. On the same night, he aligned with Paul Heyman and laid the foundation for the Vision. Soon, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed joined his side, and the trio ruled Monday Night RAW for months.<\/p>\n<p>For the second time in his career, the Visionary won the Money in the Bank Contract. After feigning an injury, Rollins pulled off &#8220;The Ruse of the Century,&#8221; ruining CM Punk&#8217;s World Heavyweight Championship win, and snatching the belt away from him. Unfortunately, Monday Night Rollins suffered an untimely injury at Crown Jewel 2025 that forced him to vacate the gold.<\/p>\n<p>However, he removed an important blemish from his record by finally defeating Cody Rhodes. Despite the injury, Rollins ends 2025 better than he started the year.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Seth Rollins CASHES IN on CM Punk in \u201cRuse of the Century\u201d: SummerSlam 2025 highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hlQDK_8jV8Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#2. Gunther Became WWE&#8217;s Supervillain in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Gunther has had an interesting year. The Ring General tapped out to Jey Uso at WrestleMania and lost the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk at SummerSlam. Yet, despite forgettable outcomes at two of the biggest WWE events of the year, he finishes 2025 as the top villain of the company.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s because the Ring General established himself as the &#8220;Career Killer&#8221; in 2025. In July, Gunther successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Goldberg in the latter&#8217;s final wrestling match. Five months later, at Saturday Night Main Event XLII, on December 13, he did the unthinkable: Gunther made John Cena tap out to the Sleeper Hold.<\/p>\n<p>He has all the momentum in the world right now, garnering nuclear heat from the WWE Universe. The former World Heavyweight Champion heads into 2026 as an absolute menace.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gunther: \u201cJohn Cena tapped out like a little b*tch\u201d: Raw highlights Dec. 15, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Vk6s9C7SVD8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#1. John Cena Accomplished it All in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The main selling point of WWE programming in 2025 was John Cena&#8217;s farewell tour. There were so many questions: Will John Cena win his 17th World Championship? Who will he face in his final match?<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, the farewell tour was a mixed bag, but Cena did his best to give the Cenation a run of a lifetime. The Champ won his 17th World Title at WrestleMania, becoming the &#8220;Never Seen 17.&#8221; The Intercontinental Championship also got a taste of Cena&#8217;s shoulders as the legend defeated Dominik Mysterio in November to win the belt. In the process, he became a Grand Slam Champion.<\/p>\n<p>Cena reignited old rivalries with Randy Orton, John Cena, and AJ Styles. Not to mention, he had one of the greatest matches in recent memory against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam in an epic Street Fight. There were a few hiccups with his heel run and the squash match with Brock Lesnar, but Cena was operating on another level this year.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Every John Cena match of his farewell tour: WWE Playlist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wBIOEa8ah-A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong><b>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> for more on John Cena and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2025 is almost coming to an end. Only one and a half weeks of mostly taped WWE programming remain. The last twelve months have been the ultimate rollercoaster ride for the Stamford-based promotion. It was the first year of WWE RAW on Netflix. In September, beginning from WrestlePalooza, PLEs became exclusive to ESPN. However, in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":145521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,25,26,4,3],"tags":[98,8238,1724,165,76],"class_list":["post-149134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-raw","category-smackdown","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-cody-rhodes","tag-gunther","tag-jey-uso","tag-john-cena","tag-seth-rollins"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149134"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149153,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149134\/revisions\/149153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}