The Best and Worst of WWE so far in 2025

WWE has witnessed many monumental moments in 2025. Seth Rollins' alliance with Paul Heyman turned WWE upside down. The Wiseman left Roman Reigns' side and betrayed his friend, CM Punk, to help Rollins craft a new vision for the future.

SmackDown going to three hours has hurt the show, often resulting in bloated promos. Tiffany Stratton, Jacob Fatu, and Dominik Mysterio, stars of WWE's new generation, all won titles.

Chad Gable portrayed the controversial El Grande Americano gimmick to battle the leaders of Lucha Libre. An injury to Uncle Howdy kept both Alexa Bliss and Karrion Kross off TV.

Officials listened to the fans by rehiring R-Truth, but Karrion Kross was largely overlooked until recently. What else defined the first half of the year? Here's the best and worst of WWE for the first six months of 2025.

#2. Best - Several new faces have joined RAW and SmackDown

When AEW launched, Vince McMahon still controlled WWE. He had no issue releasing over 100 stars in two years. A good portion of them moved to the fledgling company.

Over the last two years, however, the movement has shifted in the opposite direction. Once exciting members of the roster like Penta, Fenix, Aleister Black, and Ricky Starks have all been pushed to the back burner in favor of other stars and big free agents. All have moved to WWE, with Rusev and Mariah May marking the latest to cross lines. May was reborn as Blake Monroe in NXT.

That allowed names like Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, and Roxanne Perez to move to the main roster. The new names have blended seamlessly into the rosters on RAW and SmackDown.

#2. Worst - Charlotte Flair wins Royal Rumble

Charlotte Flair has been the most pushed woman in WWE over the last decade. Others, like Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Rhea Ripley, have also been champions. None, however, have double-digit title victories.

Flair has 14, mostly to prop up her number and eventually surpass her father Ric's total of 16. That handling led to The Queen becoming the first two-time female Royal Rumble winner.

She missed a year with an injury, but Alexa Bliss missed a year and a half and lasted less than 13 minutes in the Rumble. The Queen received fireworks during her entrance; Bliss did not. Her winning the match was predictable.

Flair could have won the Elimination Chamber for the first time in her career to face Tiffany Stratton. IYO SKY was gaining popularity and could have benefited from the win more to solidify her spot in the eyes of skeptical fans.

#2. Best/Worst - Jey Uso and his reign as the World Heavyweight Champion

Jey Uso winning the World Heavyweight Championship was a cathartic moment for many fans. After coming up short in several other attempts, The Yeet Master finally overcame his biggest rival at the biggest event of the year.

Fans felt rewarded, and WWE gained a new top face. Winning the title was a major achievement, but his time as champion was disappointing. He was immediately challenged by Seth Rollins the next night, but won by disqualification.

Jey then defeated Logan Paul. If he had been given a longer reign or faced different opponents, things could have been different.

#1. Best - Tiffany Stratton bucks Charlotte Flair's history at WrestleMania

Charlotte Flair winning the Royal Rumble meant she would face either Rhea Ripley, whom she'd faced several times before, or Tiffany Stratton.

When she chose Stratton, many fans were afraid for Stratton's prospects of winning at The Show of Shows. The feud became personal and even went off script.

When the dust settled in Las Vegas, The Center of the Universe defeated The Queen. She bucked the trend of Flair ending hype trains at WrestleMania, like she did against Ripley and Asuka.

#1. Worst - The Rock messes things up yet again

The Rock's involvement in 2024 wasn't necessarily needed, but Cody Rhodes dethroning Roman Reigns was the objective. After months of torment at the hands of The Great One, Rhodes defeated The Tribal Chief.

When he returned for RAW on Netflix, The Rock completely changed his tune. He suddenly turned face by praising Rhodes, his mother, and Netflix officials.

The Final Boss did the same thing the next night in a rambling promo on NXT. He emerged a few weeks later, turning yet again by demanding Cody be his champion. The Final Boss wanted Rhodes' soul, but was rejected.

John Cena took the offer instead. The Rock didn't appear after Elimination Chamber, yet Travis Scott, who was also randomly present at the PLE, did.

#1. Best/Worst - John Cena's Retirement Tour rocks WWE in 2025

John Cena announced his intention to retire at the end of 2025 at last year's Money in the Bank event. He competed in the Royal Rumble match, but was the final person eliminated by the winner, Jey Uso.

His heel turn shocked the wrestling industry, as many thought he'd never turn to the dark side. It completely revamped his character, and most of his promos have been gold, including his version of CM Punk's pipebomb.

The downside, however, is that it has resulted in average matches where he's cheated every time. It aligns with his promise to ruin wrestling, but bookers can come up with different ways to do that for each feud. He's cut the same promo more than once.

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