WWE 2025 Year in Review: The Biggest Storylines That Defined the Year

In the previous article, we looked forward to the new year and what predictions could unfold. 

With 2025 in the rearview mirror, we are now going to look at the biggest storylines of the year. 

Let us start with a tag team partner whose singles run hit a peak.

Four Letters, One Word

“YEET” is a trademark of Jey Uso and reflects the year he had. First, he won the Royal Rumble to the surprise of many (myself included). Then, Uso captured the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41. He made Gunther tap out to the sleeper hold, and despite a short run of 51 days, he was over. However, fans did revolt against him when the year neared its conclusion. His push felt forced, and WWE eventually reunited him with his brother Jimmy. On the year-end show of Raw, the two won the tag team titles from AJ Styles and Dragon Lee. Uso had the year of his career, and he deserves everything he has.

Cena’s Retirement Tour

Where do I start? John Cena’s last year in WWE was a mixed bag to say the least. He entered the Royal Rumble but fell short after being eliminated by Jey Uso. Then, Cena announced that he would be in the Elimination Chamber. He won, and in one of the most shocking moments in WWE history, he turned heel. 

After beating the tar out of Cody Rhodes, Cena aligned himself with the Rock and Travis Scott. That is where things turned sour. The Rock vanished into thin air, and Scott made his presence felt in one of the worst WrestleMania main events of all time. Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to become the 17-time World Champion, and then reignited rivalries with Randy Orton, CM Punk, R-Truth, Brock Lesnar (more on him later), and AJ Styles.

He then became a grand slam champion after defeating Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship. Then he lost it at Survivor Series due to the Judgement Day’s involvement. Controversially, Cena tapped out to Gunther in his last match. Fans were not happy with the ending and booed Triple H when he came down to the ring. All in all, we will miss the G.O.AT. Here is hoping he is the host of this year’s WM or gets inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

Raw debuts on Netflix, and ESPN becomes home to PLE’s

I will keep this one brief, but it is important to note. WWE made a blockbuster move and put Raw on Netflix on January 6th, marking the first time it had ever left cable TV. Triple H’s vision was to make WWE a global brand, and what better way than to bring Raw to one of the biggest streaming services. Then, WWE struck a deal with ESPN to showcase their PLE’s. It certainly appears that the brand is bigger than ever. Now we will see what lies ahead as the road to WM starts January 31st at the Royal Rumble.

Ruse of the Century/Proceed with Caution (MITB cash-ins)

It was a memorable year for Money in the Bank winners Seth Rollins and Naomi. Rollins won the briefcase for the second time in his career, and his cash-in was an all-time great. After getting injured during Saturday Night’s Main Event, Rollins was seen with a leg brace and crutches. However, it was all for show. When CM Punk won the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, Rollins came out and tossed the crutches aside before untying his brace. He then went on to win the title in what Michael Cole coined the “Ruse of the Century.”

On the women’s side of things, Naomi won the MITB after turning heel and had quite the year. She cashed in at Evolution during a match between Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley. Weeks later, she vacated the belt after announcing she was pregnant, but warned the women’s division to proceed with caution.

The Beast Incarnate Returns and Squashes John Cena

At SummerSlam, John Cena and Cody Rhodes put on a clinic in a match for the Undisputed WWE Championship. 

Rhodes came out the victor, and Cena was given his flowers afterwards. Just when it seemed the show was over Brock’s music hit, and Michael Cole yelled “Holy ****.” Lesnar made his return to WWE after a two-year absence, as he is part of a lawsuit. No one expected him to come back. Even worse, Brock squashed Cena at Wrestlepalooza in under eight minutes in what was one of the worst matches last year. The Beast looks like he is back in the fold, but does anyone really want to see him? He is rumored to clash with Gunther next year, whether it be at WM or in his hometown of Minneapolis at SummerSlam.

The Many Returns

I would say the most heartwarming return of 2025 was AJ Lee. She made her return after being gone for nearly a decade and was impressive in her first match back at Wrestlepalooza. The fans welcomed her back and look forward to seeing her collide with Becky Lynch in 2026. Another huge return last year was Jade Cargill, who pounced on Naomi at Elimination Chamber. Naomi was revealed as the one who attacked Cargill, and it prompted a heel turn that worked wonders. As for Cargill, she is now the Women’s World Champion on SmackDown, but is stuck in meaningless feuds with B-Fab and Michin. Other memorable women’s returns were Alexa Bliss and Nikki Bella.

On the men’s side of things, AJ Styles returned at the Royal Rumble after a brief absence. He would go on to win the tag team championship with Dragon Lee, and announced his retirement this year. One last return worth noting was R-Truth, who was released in a shocking move by WWE. However, he came back with a huge pop at MITB when he attacked John Cena. Despite the return, R-Truth reverted to his comedic character and has since not been featured much on television.

WWE Superstars Capture Gold

Many superstars captured gold for the first time in 2025 or won a title for the first time. From Jey Uso, to Maxxine Dupri, and Thea Hail. Even John Cena got his first IC title. Stephanie Vaquer also won the Women’s World Championship at Wrestlepalooza.

Storylines for 2026

2026 kicked off the New Year with a three-hour Smackdown. 

There was the return of Randy Orton and Matt Cardona. Along with the debut of Trick Williams, who confronted Sami Zayn. Lastly, Guilia won back the Women’s US Title in a shocking title change. We shall see what is in store for the new year, but it already looks like WWE is off to a hot start.