The WWE Universe in 2024
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The WWE product is red-hot right now. There are multiple storylines featuring captivating and highly entertaining content. From deceit and scorned love to backstabbing and the emergence of new talent, there’s no slowing down this machine. As we are roughly halfway through 2024, it makes sense to take a step back and rank the talents in the company right now based on their value to the company — as well as the popularity these wrestlers bring in general.
20. Logan Paul
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Paul is a performer — plain and simple. Many wish he’d commit to wrestling in a full-time capacity. Aside from being a massive name, his talent in the ring is undeniable. You don’t see many guys moving as well as he does at that size — not to mention he’s naturally tremendous as a heel. He did drop the U.S. Championship to LA Knight at SummerSlam. His future with the company remains a mystery. With that said, it would be shocking if we didn’t see him involved in some capacity moving forward.
19. Solo Sikoa
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Sikoa is one of the most hated performers in the business. With Roman Reigns away from the action, Sikoa has taken it upon himself to be the de facto leader of The Bloodline. Adopting leather gloves and a suit, he’s almost functioning as a pseudo mob boss — directing his cronies to take out people weekly. As a heel, he’s got as much heat as anyone not named Dom Mysterio (more on him later). This elevating of The Bloodline should continue far into the future now that Reigns is back — along with the recent addition of Jacob Fatu and the eventual debut of other family members.
18. Chelsea Green
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Whenever the brilliant Samantha Irvin yells “It’s Chelsea Greeeeeeeeen!”, you know exactly what you’re getting with the aforementioned performer. Green technically plays the role of a heel — though she’s so utterly good at what she does. She has the persona of a bratty princess who always believes she’s being wronged for one thing or another. In truth, Green is great as an in-ring performer as well as an entertainer. Her persona is enhanced even more by the garish yet tasteful outfits she brings to the ring. We’re hoping the company gives her a legitimate push as a potential title holder rather than just being used as a magnet for comedic relief. Green still feels woefully underrated for how good of a job she does with what she’s been given.
17. LA Knight
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LA Knight needed to win gold at SummerSlam. For over a year, he had sustained real popularity as a bit of a throwback to the Attitude Era. Had he lost to Logan Paul, there was a real possibility the window may have closed on him being an upper-echelon figure within the company. Besting Paul for the U.S. Championship, Knight can now enjoy a lengthy reign where his charm and brilliance on the mic can be further tapped into. We could see several competitors making a beeline for a title shot, and Knight has the persona to create a very fun rivalry with whomever that could be (perhaps Randy Orton, Andrade, AJ Styles, Carmelo Hayes, or Kevin Owens?).
16. Seth Rollins
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Rollins isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He’s still heavily involved in a number of angles within the company — most recently the McIntyre-Punk feud. As for his future as a potential title holder, he’ll surely be in the mix in some capacity. We must admit…his current schtick may be getting a bit stale. There could be a world in which he recalibrates his image a bit in order to rev up the juice around his persona. Still, Rollins is a legendary worker, and is among the bigger names in the company currently.
15. Tiffany Stratton
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Speaking of rising stars within the company, it’s soon going to be “Tiffy Time” in WWE. As Ms. Money in the Bank, it’s only a matter of time until Stratton cashes in — presumably versus Nia Jax. Jax seems like a perfect candidate to be a transitional champ. She was rewarded at SummerSlam by besting Bayley for the belt. Jax’s performances have gotten far better in the ring. We’ve also seen Stratton and Jax form a bit of a bond in recent months. It sets the stage for Stratton and her iconic moonsault to eventually become Champ. Stratton has sky-high upside as both a baby face and as a heel. She’s one of the most promising talents in the sport.
14. Randy Orton
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Despite being in the latter stages of his career, Orton still has a gravitas that resonates with his peers and the WWE Universe alike. He’s been intertwined in the narrative centered around The Bloodline. We’ll see if the involvement with him and Kevin Owens continues. Could Orton have another title run in some capacity? It’s very possible, and as long as he’s wrestling, the fan base will respond to him in a very positive manner.
13. Bron Breakker
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Breakker has finally arrived. The physically imposing son of Rick and nephew of ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott came away with the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam courtesy of a nasty spear coming off the ropes. The prodigious wrestler has all of the tools to be the biggest star in the company. Charisma and pedigree aside, he just ‘looks’ like a guy who can one day carry the company with further seasoning. In his first title reign, there’s no telling who the next competitor will be coming for his belt. Perhaps it’ll be fellow NXT alum Ilja Dragunov?
12. Damian Priest
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Priest is said to be extremely well-liked by Triple H and those in charge of the company. He is a great worker, and has continued to get better and better on the mic as the new leader of The Judgment Day. At the same time, it wasn’t overly shocking to see him drop the belt to Gunther at SummerSlam. The seeds had been planted for months over a feud between himself and Finn Balor. Now, we’ll get to see that play out — and it should be very entertaining. Seeing Priest more so as a baby face will also be something to watch.
11. Sami Zayn
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Zayn remains a key cog in the WWE machine. He’s still super popular and is as good of a worker as there is in the company. After helping to put Bron Breakker over at SummerSlam, there’s a real possibility Zayn joins back up with Jey Uso and The Bloodline crew to combat the offshoot version featuring the quartet of heels (led by Solo Sikoa). We’ll look back at Zayn’s career and come to realize he’ll go down as one of the more underrated WWE superstars of his generation.
10. Jacob Fatu
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Fatu has become a major fixture within the company since joining a few months ago. His talent is very apparent, as men his size should not be nearly as graceful or mobile when contorting his body and flying off the top turnbuckle. His facial expressions are downright menacing, and he actually looks terrifying when stalking his prey in the ring. Fatu slimmed down in preparation for his arrival in the company, and the work has certainly paid off. As one-half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, we can see this run going a while as he further cements himself within the company. Make no mistake about it…Fatu is arguably the biggest rising star in the company. It won’t be long until he’s a singles performer competing for titles. We dream of the scenario in which he squares off 1v1 versus Bron Breakker or Roman Reigns.
9. Gunther
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The Gunther push was inevitable once he lost the Intercontinental belt to Sami Zayn. Facing off versus Damian Priest for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, he was able to secure the belt courtesy of some help from Finn Balor at SummerSlam. Gunther is a throwback to an earlier period, where technical wrestling is prioritized over high-flying elements from Lucha wrestling and other parts of the world. His chopping ability might be unrivaled in the history of the sport, as the ferocity and literal venom emanating from those chops results in the opponents’ chests looking like raw hamburger meat. Coupled with his improvement on the mic, Gunther should be an excellent belt holder for the foreseeable future.
8. Dom Mysterio
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The heat this man gets is insane. He was already hated alongside Rhea Ripley. Now that the double-crossing has been fleshed out and presented to the audience, there’s no telling how much vitriol the biggest heel in the company will get. Mysterio isn’t a bad in-ring performer — though he certainly knows where his bread-and-butter is as a complementary ringside piece to two of the biggest female performers in WWE. It’s even better that he’s inheriting/demonstrating many of the traits close family friend/the late great Eddie Guerrero would showcase during his prime. Mysterio has it down from the cheating/lying/stealing mantras to the mullet and even the prominent mustache.
7. CM Punk
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Punk’s long-awaited in-ring performance at SummerSlam did not disappoint. He looked great battling against Drew McIntyre. This storyline has been one of the most integral in the company for months now. Punk’s popularity is as strong as ever — evidenced by those in attendance singing “Cult of Personality” passionately. The rivalry between the two performers don’t seem as if it’ll end soon. From a personal standpoint, it’s also nice to see Punk genuinely happy back in WWE after a reportedly tumultuous time in AEW.
6. Liv Morgan
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The creative team did a tremendous job in taking Ripley’s real-life injury and turning it into a storyline featuring the woman who technically injured her (even if by mistake). Adding in the Mysterio angle was a stroke of genius. Now that Morgan and Mysterio are an item, she could very well become the new face of The Judgment Day… or some sort of iteration of the preexisting group. Morgan’s in-ring performance at SummerSlam was great — though it’s her acting skills through these scenes with her, Ripley, and Mysterio that has vaulted her into a top 10 standing within this piece.
5. Drew McIntyre
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As mentioned above, the feud between McIntyre and Punk is red-hot. These two play off one another exceptionally well, and McIntyre’s development as an in-ring performer continues to skyrocket. His work on the mic is also terrific, and despite giving off heelish vibes, McIntyre is quite popular with those in the WWE Universe. The McIntyre-Punk saga seems far from over, and it’ll be curious to see how Seth Rollins may be involved moving forward. There’s a world in which McIntyre becomes a belt holder sooner than later.
4. Rhea Ripley
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The professionalism Ripley offers in the ring is fantastic. She’s unquestionably the best female performer in the company, and it’s not all that close. She boasts the impressive physicality, but it’s everything else which makes her a star. She understands the psychology of matches, from her ability to sell to the facial expressions she exudes. You felt horrible for her as she watched ‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio leave her for Liv Morgan in the match which kicked off SummerSlam. With her involvement in The Judgment Day all but finished, Ripley is about to embark on a new journey in her career which could see her link up with someone new.
3. Jey Uso
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YEET YEET! Uso is nuclear hot right now. Since being a singles wrestler again, you can make a real argument he’s the most popular performer in the company. The crowd goes absolutely unglued whenever he is introduced. Blue strobe lights envelop the dark arenas as fans triumphantly move their hands up and down in unison. We’ll see how Uso is utilized moving forward. Will be re-up with Roman Reigns as a new offshoot of The Bloodline? Will he continue as a singles performer — or will he eventually become a tag team with his (now injured) brother Jimmy? Is there a storyline about to occur with himself and ‘Mami’ Rhea? Only time will tell.
2. Roman Reigns
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You knew it was coming. After carrying the company for years as an elite heel, Roman Reigns reverted back to being a baby face in the wake of losing the title to Cody Rhodes. We hadn’t seen Reigns for months, and yet crowds at live WWE events were often chanting his name — calling for the reemergence of the superstar. At SummerSlam, Reigns came out from the back to a monumental pop. After disposing of his former enforcer/family member Solo Sikoa, it opened the door to not only reignite the rivalry between Reigns and Rhodes, but also create a civil war situation between himself and his family members. Pure cinema at its finest.
1. Cody Rhodes
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Rhodes is the biggest baby face in the company to date. Since making the move from AEW, he’s been a gold mine for the WWE creative team. His popularity is tangible to the point where he’s been reportedly asked by both major political parties to consider running as a politician. As the belt holder, he withstood The Bloodline’s attempt at winning the title courtesy of unexpected help from Roman Reigns. It will be very fascinating to see the day when Rhodes turns heel. Going from ‘The American Nightmare’ with a squeaky-clean image to one with a rougher exterior certainly would include plenty of angles to exploit and tap into.
