Happy New Year! 2025 was a good one for pro wrestling. Not great, not excellent, but good. Solid.
Why? Well, the year started slow. The WWE was rolling coming out of 2024, but slowed considerably by the time WrestleMania rolled around. Blame the John Cena heel turn for that. It was an ill-conceived idea at the worst possible time and ironic given the company finally had what it wanted after all these years — all the WWE fans on Cena’s side.
More ironically than that is the fact that by the end, Cena’s retirement ended up as a notable part of the year. Once the heel madness was over, Cena turned in some memorable performances in more than one top 10 match of the year.
As for AEW, they had a year that wasn’t sexy, but supremely necessary and effective. The company found a stride. Tony Khan found tiers in his promotion that directed simple, but entertaining storylines that culminated at huge shows that drew money.
NXT? Solid. It has it’s own place in the pro wrestling ecosystem now and with TNA in the fold, offers some uniqueness that the WWE main roster doesn’t offer. Speaking of TNA, they had a great year. The company leveraged their partnership with WWE to net a new television deal and some new eyeballs. TNA events drew well and though they became NXT’s little brother, the brand has been more relevant than ever.
So, cheers to you 2025. What about 2026?
John Cena is retired and that year-long albatross of an angle is in the rearview mirror. That’s good for WWE. They need other storylines and top stars like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Gunther, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins to shine. All on their own. For WWE, 2026 needs to be a year about getting the most out of these aging top guys.
From The Takedown on SI
In AEW, it could be the year of MJF. He’s starting the year as champion and cut a beautiful promo to end 2025 on what exactly his title run would be like. Kenny Omega, Swerve Strickland, Adam Page, and others are lined up for him this year. There’s another guy out there waiting for him too …
How about we dust off the crystal ball? What does 2026 look like in pro wrestling? Let’s take a look.
Will Ospreay will headline AEW All In inside Wembley Stadium
Ospreay has been injured since August and is recovering from neck surgery. So, why predict this then, Zack? Well, instinct. Tony Khan running Wembley Stadium in the UK is the key here. Ospreay in a top position on a card like this at anytime would draw. Him in the main event, wrestling for the world title, in his home country, on a comeback? That may sell 60,000 tickets or more. If it has a chance of happening, Khan should hold out. My gut says it does.
Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee at WrestleMania 42
This is a layup. Too many arrows in WWE are pointing in this direction. Lynch needs a huge WrestleMania match, but hasn’t been mixing it up with the top title contenders like Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, and others. Lee can fill that spot for her and she needs a big match too. A lot of 2025 was used for developing this exact match. Why not pay it off at the biggest show of the year?
Bron Breakker becomes a world champion
It may not happen on January 5 when Breakker clashes with CM Punk on the first WWE Raw of the year, but it’s going to happen. Not only is Breakker getting a strong push, but he is delivering inside that push. Strong ring work, energy, and better than decent promos. With that type momentum, not winning the top prize soon will eventually hurt him.
Gunther and Brock Lesnar complete a classic match trilogy
Gunther and Brock Lesnar have been on a collision course since Lesnar returned to the company at SummerSlam last year and the time is now to make money off of that match. Not just make money off it, but milk alllllll the money out of it. They will wrestle a trilogy of matches in 2026 and those will be Lesnar’s best work in years. WWE has to strike hot with Gunther now that they had him retire John Cena by submission. The championship picture is crowded and this is a suitable feud for Gunther that maintains his top tier relevancy, while not overcrowding.
Mercedes Mone hits rock bottom and then climbs to the top of AEW
Mercedes Mone has already started a downward spiral. She’s losing championship belts left and right, including her precious TBS Championship. Yikes. She’s not at rock bottom yet. Look for Mone to lose all her titles this year, but then? Everyone loves a comeback. By the end of 2026, Mone will have the big Women’s World Championship prize in AEW.
Oba Femi rules
Femi is impressive. He shows it every week in NXT and showed it on the main roster during a brief stop for John Cena’s final event festivities. 2026 is his year. I don’t want to go too far out on the limb, so won’t predict a world championship run, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets one either. Regardless, he will be a prevalent figure on television this year.
TNA starts fast and then runs out of steam
2025 was good to TNA and that fortune will continue as 2026 gets rolling. They start their new TV deal with AMC later this month and that will inject their company with juice and audience interest. I don’t see them sustaining that success. They are doing well, but don’t have the star power on their own to maintain a regular pace. Top stars will either get gobbled up by NXT or the WWE main roster if they get over in TNA and top storylines that will grow the fanbase won’t have time to marinate.
Vince McMahon will cut a thick check … and maybe more than one
I’m not a legal expert, but Vince McMahon is juggling too many lawsuits at once to catch all of those balls successfully. McMahon is going to pay up in 2026. Hopefully, it will be to Janel Grant, but that case is moving slower than an Undertaker entrance. More likely, the WWE shareholders that are suing McMahon for skirting his fiduciary responsibility to make them rich will collect some cash. Settlement? Probably, but the check gets cut either way.
The Rock … stays away
For the first time in two years, WWE fans won’t see The Rock on television. The stink of his last “involvement” with the company ahead of WrestleMania 41 is still very stinky. He’ll need the year to repair some of the damage and ill will he has with fans around what was the flop of all flops in 2025.
Take out your own crystal ball! What are you pro wrestling predictions for 2026?
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I see a good number of your predictions becoming true. The one about Rock intrigues me most because I never want to see him on my TV again after the disappearing act he pulled last year.