2025 has been a weird year. In general and in the world of pro wrestling.
Look, the Chicago Bears are in first place and it’s Thanksgiving. Weird. John Cena is retiring. Weird. Hell, Tony Khan got media training. Really weird.
It’s been a weird year, but a fun one with lots to be thankful for in wrestling. Can we drill it down to the top five things? Here goes nothing.
5. Five match cards for regular WWE PLE’s
Can I get a hell yeah!?! I can’t be the only on that’s thankful for this. I get it, the shows are still three hours or more, but the fact that only five matches happen on these B-level shows is such a breath of fresh air. The trade-off is waiting an eternity between matches, but so be it. Five match cards allow for everything on the show to stand out properly and keep the audiences active at a high level. Maybe I’m scarred from the days of WrestleMania being a legit seven hours, but it is what it is. Stick with this formula, WWE. And thank you.
4. Women’s wrestling
I was thankful for this in 2024 and am again this year. I’ve got two daughters, so I’ll probably be thankful for this next year and the year after too. Here’s the thing, though, women’s wrestling had a banner year. Some of the biggest stars of both WWE and AEW are women and while there still needs to be more main events that feature these women, they are there and the audience loves them. It’s refreshing to see and it’s important to look back on how far things have come for women in the wrestling business.
3. Becky Lynch
Speaking of women’s wrestling, bravo Becky Lynch. She says she’s the best, Sports Illustrated says it, and now I’m saying it. Lynch is having a damn year. Not only has she single handily made new WWE acts like Lyra Valkyria and Maxxine Dupri, but she’s currently in the middle of a feud with a returning AJ Lee and is damn hilarious at the same time. Lynch has a schtick she’s playing up, but when it comes time to do business, she does it. Lynch is one of the best wrestlers to watch on a weekly basis. How could you not be thankful for that?
2. The John Cena retirement tour
Yes, at times it was a train wreck. The heel run for Cena this year was painfully bad from an execution standpoint and as ill-timed as anything you’ll ever see in pro wrestling. At the same time, it’s had moments of greatness. Cena open challenge matches, Cena vs. Cody Rhodes at Summerslam, Cena vs. AJ Styles, Cena in Boston. Just tremendous moments and a stark reminder of how and why stars are the draws in wrestling. “Let’s go Cena, Cena sucks.” It was a chant between manic ends of the WWE audience for 20 years. It’s fitting that Cena’s final run imitate that history.
1. The Death Riders
The Death Riders helped right the ship in AEW throughout 2025. It was a little boring at times, unsexy, and downright unexciting at other times, but it worked to realign the company properly. Because of Jon Moxley and The Death Riders, the company focused itself and built toward something in their eventual demise. At the end of 2024, it felt as if the wheels had fallen off AEW creative. The Death Riders brought things back to basics. Yes, I’m glad it’s nearing it’s end, but I’m damn thankful it happened.
What are you thankful for in wrestling this year? Let us know in the comments!
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