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The power rankings of WWE superstars are constantly changing, but just before Wrestlemania 42 takes place in Las Vegas this week, we’ve decided to pick out who we think is currently on top of the business. Taking into account both their in-ring work and skills on the mic, as well as the prominence of the storylines they’re currently a part of leading up to the big show, we’ve chosen our top 10. I’m sure you’ll agree completely.
Crucially, this is a list that lives very much in the moment, and could even change as soon as next week depending on how some of the biggest matchups pan out. If you’re looking for a list that covers the whole history of the WWE/WWF, then check out our Top 25 Wrestlers of All Time.
10. Liv Morgan
After a nasty shoulder injury kept her out of action for five months, Liv Morgan swiftly returned to her natural position at the top of Raw’s women’s division, with now only Stephanie Vaquer standing in her way. Of course, this is all due to her first-ever Royal Rumble win back in January, which saw her triumph from the number 14 spot, taking out Tiffany Stratton to claim the victory. Since then, she’s had to work through turmoil within her faction, The Judgment Day, while also defending herself from numerous ambushes by Vaquer, including a very nasty backstage bump to the head with teammate Roxanne Perez only last week. Whether she really is “the greatest Royal Rumble winner of all-time” is certainly one question, but there’s no denying how popular she is both in and out of the ring.
9. Dominik Mysterio
Where Liv goes, Dom always follows. Dirty Dominik Mysterio is as good a cartoon villain as there is in WWE right now. Yes, his in-ring work might never match the technical prowess of his father (either of them), but his knack for getting cheap wins and bending the rules, whether it be with hammers or chairs, makes him the crowd’s favourite superstar to hate. Finn Balor’s return to his Demon persona is certainly the main draw for their upcoming Wrestlemania match, but it wouldn’t hold the same weight if there wasn’t such a popular piece of work waiting to be on the wrong end of it this weekend. Plus, is there a funnier sight in the ring than when Mysterio flexes those biceps and pouts those lips out under that awful moustache? I don’t think so.
8. Oba Femi
For some time, the prospect of Oba Femi was bubbling away on NXT before making an explosive impact on both Raw and Smackdown over the past few months. His impressive Royal Rumble debut saw him clear no less than five other men from the ring before being eliminated by his Wrestlemania 42 opponent, Brock Lesnar. Since then, he’s gone on to powerbomb his way to many quickfire wins over the likes of Kit Wilson, Rusev, and The Miz, always sparking a huge crowd reaction whenever that ominous intro march begins. He may still be very new when it comes to WWE, but there’s no denying The Ruler has already become an instant fan-favourite, with a huge future in front of him.
7. Iyo Sky
It’s hard to think of the last time Iyo Sky was involved in a bad match. Indeed, her triple threat with Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair was arguably the show-stealer of Wrestlemania 41. Her subsequent bond with the former has led to one of the most entertaining tag teams of the last 12 months, with Rhiyo’s feud with The Kabuki Warrior of Asuka and Kairi Sane delivering on every occasion. Also, who else is bonkers enough to repeatedly get inside a trash can and jump off the top of a steel cage onto half a dozen other people? There’s a thin line between genius and stupidity, but we’ll always give The Genius of the Sky the benefit of the doubt.
6. Seth Rollins
Had he not suffered an unfortunately timed injury (a genuinely real one this time), there’s an argument for Seth Rollins making the top three of this list. Alas, he’s only just been cleared for in-ring activities, and as such has suffered a drop off. That’s not to say he hasn’t made an impact in the short time he’s been back, utilising his army of masked men to haunt Paul Heyman at every opportunity. The former leader of The Vision has been given a fresh start, which could actually work out in his favour, taking on a vigilante-esque babyface persona hell-bent on burning down everything he previously built with The Oracle, Bronn Breakker, and Bronson Reed. First, though, he has the not-so-small problem of Gunther to overcome at Wrestlemania, but hopefully his story can get firmly back on track after that, because when he’s on fire, there have been very few as consistently good as Seth Rollins has been over the past decade.
5. Gunther
Gunther loves wrestling. The in-ring art of the sport is arguably no more on display than when the hulking Austrian is grappling, suplexing, and chopping people in between the ropes. Mysterio may well be the most entertaining heel at the company, but no one is as committed to the art of destroying the dreams of his opponents quite like Gunther, who has no qualms with making legends tap out and then laughing in the face of children sporting their merch. Just ask John Cena. He may currently be without a belt following his record-breaking Intercontinental Championship reign and double World Heavyweight titles, but he’s simply having too much fun killing careers at the moment. Long may it continue.
4. Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes is still very much one of the poster boys of professional wrestling, even if he isn’t quite at the peak he was two years ago following an all-timer Wrestlemania 40 main event. But let’s not forget that he’s reclaimed the Undisputed World Championship belt not once, but twice in the last year. It’s clear to see that fire still burns, too, whether it be giving his all in the ring or shooting from the hip in an attempt to clean up after Pat McAfee’s mess, even if that is a near-impossible task. There’s no denying that the boos have been getting ever-so-steadily louder amongst the cheers in recent weeks, though. Whether that’s down to people wanting the returning madness of Randy Orton to prevail over Rhodes in their upcoming match-up, or if the WWE audience is genuinely getting tired of his clean-cut babyface image. For now, he still remains near the top of the pile, though it will be interesting to see which way he goes following Wrestlemania 42, as he finds himself at a crossroads character-wise.
3. Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley is one of those few names who has transcended the wrestling bubble, becoming a household name to those who don’t even watch WWE. After breaking free of the Judgment Day a couple of years back, the Australian superstar has gone from strength to strength as a destructive force. But it’s her ability to connect to all sections of the fanbase that makes her truly special, perhaps best showcasing that in her friendship with Iyo Sky, which saw them rise to the top of the tag team mountain. But don’t let those cutesy interactions fool you, Rhea is still as brutal as the best of them, and will be looking to showcase that in a heavyweight encounter with Jade Cargill, where she’ll be aiming to reaffirm that when it comes to WWE’s female superstars, Mami remains on top.
2. Roman Reigns
He may only show up for five minutes at the end of every other episode of Raw, but it’s impossible to deny the impact of any show Roman Reigns appears on. His recent back-and-forths with his Wrestlemania opponent, CM Punk, have been stealing shows ever since his Royal Rumble win as they look to close out this year’s Mania card in style. Yes, of course, we’d love to see more of him actually getting down to business in the ring outside of the odd Superman punch or spear to close out the evening, but, if anything, holding him back only makes it more exciting for those rare occasions where we get to see Roman in full flow. Let’s hope this Sunday is exactly one of those moments.
1. CM Punk
If you’re on the cover of the latest WWE 2K game, then you’re probably doing something right. He may be pushing 50, but you wouldn’t know that from watching CM Punk work in the ring, putting people to sleep with regularity and keeping up stamina-wise with people far his junior. Where Punk really shines, though, is in the build-up to his matches, never failing to win half of the battle before it’s even begun. There’s no one better on the mic than him, as shown most recently in his ‘shoot’ directed at WWE’s corporate higher-ups in a speech already dubbed the ‘Pipe Bomb 2.0’. It’s that element of “realness” that cements Punk’s connection with the audience. He’s called The Best in the World for a reason.
Who’s your current favourite WWE wrestler? Which match are you looking forward to most at Wrestlemania? Let us know in the comments below!
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.
