Stock Up, Stock Down For Trending WWE and AEW Stars

We're off to an exciting year for WWE and All Elite Wrestling as its top stars attempt to find their footing. 

AEW has been on a hot streak lately with the rousing success of Grand Slam Australia and Revolution. As a result, the perception of the relative newcomer and its distinguished competition has started to shift. 

Meanwhile, the road to WrestleMania 41 is heating up thanks to a shocking heel turn and Iyo Sky’s upset win over Rhea Ripley to close the WWE Raw after Elimination Chamber. Roman Reigns also returned to seek revenge on Seth Rollins and CM Punk, drawing a thunderous reaction in Madison Square Garden. 

It will be interesting to see who emerges as a breakout star by the end of December. Let's track how these five trending stars' stocks rose or dropped in the first quarter of 2025.

Toni Storm has been one of AEW's most consistent acquisitions. The “Timeless” star's character work and promos as a Golden Age Hollywood starlet made her one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster.

She became the company's first four-time women's world champion in her home country at Grand Slam Australia and wrapped up one of its best rivalries to date with Mariah May at Revolution in Los Angeles. The final match in their successful feud was easily the most acclaimed entry of the trilogy and a satisfying ending to a phenomenal storyline.  

Storm's transition into the top protagonist in the AEW women's division has been the right blend of comedy and engaging storytelling. We can't wait to see her take on new opponents such as Megan Bayne this year.

Charlotte Flair’s return to WWE has been surprisingly underwhelming.

A serious knee injury forced her to take nearly a year off to recover, creating anticipation for her appearance at the first premium live event of 2025. 

Flair became the first two-time women's Royal Rumble winner on Feb. 1 and challenged Tiffany Stratton to a match at WrestleMania 41. Of course, her latest accolade was about as divisive as one would expect, but the build to their upcoming match has been incredibly dull. 

Their eventual showdown on The Grandest Stage of Them All on April 19-20 will deliver, but WWE hasn't done anything new with the 14-time world champion in so long. The vignettes that aired before she returned were promising, but it has just been more of the same since then. 

One of the biggest takeaways from AEW Revolution is that Swerve Strickland is still at the top of his game following a standout 2024. His feud with Ricochet was tremendous and he has grown into a top star. 

The Most Dangerous Man in AEW is heading into Dynasty on April 6 as the No. 1 contender for the company's world title. As such, he has the chance to prove himself again as a two-time champion and finally avenge his loss to Jon Moxley in the 2023 Continental Classic.

The immediate support from the fans suggests Swerve could end The Death Riders’ reign of terror and headline All In for the second consecutive year.

Jon Moxley is amid his most unpopular period with AEW since joining in 2019.

The Death Riders' angle started well at All Out last September, but it has gradually become the low point of weekly programming for many viewers.

His fourth run with AEW's top prize has been disappointing. Even worse, Mox vs. Cope at Revolution has been panned as the company's worst pay-per-view main event in recent memory.

It's a shame because Moxley's promos are still captivating and The Death Riders are a talented collection of wrestlers who most fans appreciate.

However, this storyline and its overproduced matches stand out like a sore thumb among the rest of the product, and it's getting harder to justify its prominence on a show with much better options.

John Cena has become the talk of the industry again since his earth-shattering heel turn at Elimination Chamber.

The longtime babyface did the unthinkable on March 1 when he betrayed Cody Rhodes and aligned himself with The Rock.

On the latest episode of Raw, Cena gave his reasons for turning his back on the fans en route to his attempt to break Ric Flair’s record and secure his 17th world title. The entire segment has already garnered 3.9 million views on WWE’s YouTube channel.

This change of direction adds so much intrigue to Cena's farewell tour and gives WrestleMania 41 a monumental marquee match.