The Dark Angel Rises, The Beast Dominates, Jimmy is the Glue, J.J. Underwhelms, Fraser is Wasted

Stephanie Vaquer

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A striking look, in-ring excellence, and star charisma… pick any two.

No one is perfect.

WWE wrestlers are rightly portrayed as larger-than-life, even superhuman, paragons.  The performers who portray them, however, are flawed human beings like the rest of us.

A major task of WWE booking is to hide a wrestlerâ€s weaknesses and highlight their strengths.  Doing so requires a deft sleight of hand, and results vary depending in part on the quality of performance.

Who in WWE is being portrayed in an ideal light, and who is being exposed?  Letâ€s take a look.

Rising Star of the Week: Stephanie Vaquer

WWE creative has gone all-in on La Primera, who has ascended to the top of the Womenâ€s Division faster than any other talent in recent memory.  A clean win over Iyo Sky, the most dominant champion of the past few years, cements the Dark Angelâ€s legitimacy as champion.

Will the gamble on Vaquer pay off?  The last talent to be elevated this quickly was Tiffany Stratton, who has in many ways been a disappointment.  Will Vaquer follow suit?

Vaquerâ€s greatest assets are top-notch ring work, a strikingly unique look, and a strong presence.  She has proven herself able to have excellent matches with a variety of opponents, and her match with the masterful Sky was predictably the best on the Wrestlepalooza card.

Her signature “Devilâ€s Kiss†is perhaps the most over wrestling move of 2025, although its popularity is undermined by commentators†ever-present sexual innuendo surrounding the maneuver – reminiscent of Jerry Lawler at his worst.

Vaquer holds herself like a star, and possesses a rare poise which makes her seem in command of almost any situation.   She also has a “cool” factor that many of her peers, such as Sky, simply lack. Her ring garb is striking, although I canâ€t help but wonder if it would benefit from adding a pair of shorts.

Her chief weakness is undoubtedly her ability to deliver a strong promo, hampered by limited English.  Sky overcame a similar problem to connect solidly with the audience, although it took her several years to do so. If Vaquer can do the same, and is booked well, a successful title reign is all but guaranteed.

After 16 years of perfecting her craft as a professional wrestler, the Dark Angel finally has the spotlight. I, for one, and am excited to see what she is able to make of it.

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First Runner-up: Brock Lesnar

The Beast is back!

Many fans have mixed feelings about Lesnarâ€s return, given his alleged misconduct outside of the ring as a part of the Vince McMahon scandal.  However, his value as a special attraction performer is undeniable.  Having Lesnar return as a vicious heel fans are encouraged to boo seems in line with how fans want to react to him.

The decision to have Lesnar defeat Cena decisively is a welcome one. WWE matches are typically close contests, which makes them more entertaining, taken individually. But over time, too many such bouts condition fans to expect inevitable comebacks.

More one-sided matches feel realistic and make actual comebacks more exciting.

A true superstar with only a handful of WWE appearances left, Cena has little to lose in defeat. Lesnar, on the other hand, still holds value for WWE beyond 2025, and a decisive win over Cena reestablishes him as a dominant force.

Some foresee a rematch in which Cena wins, giving his retirement tour a happy ending. I hope that doesnâ€t happen. If Lesnarâ€s win stands, his prospects going forward — e.g., challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship — become far more exciting.

Second Runner up: Jimmy Uso

Why Jey has found such success as a singles star, while Jimmy has not, is a mystery to me.  The Usos†reunification has made it clear which twin is stronger on the mic.  Jimmy is natural, quick-witted, and believable in promos — all areas where Jey struggles.

Ring skills are more of a toss-up. Jimmy boasts a deeper offensive repertoire and appears slightly more athletically gifted. While he hasnâ€t connected with audiences on the emotional level Jey recently has, heâ€s highly effective in eliciting crowd reactions — as either heel or babyface.

One wonders whether his lesser success compared to Jey is more due to storyline roles than ability.

Jimmy is an unsung hero of the Bloodline saga. Though his role was relatively minor, he played it well and gave teammates and opponents a skilled performer to work off. Heâ€s served a similar role in his return to Raw, elevating L.A. Knight, Jey, and The Vision.

Heâ€s certainly brought out the best in his brother and Knight, helping make their rivalry unexpectedly compelling. Heâ€s more than earned his spot — and greater opportunities moving forward.

…and the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role goes to… Big Jim!

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Fading Star of the Week: Jacy Jayne

Jayne is solidly exceeding expectations as NXT Womenâ€s Champion. Sheâ€s at her best on the mic, hitting promo beats in a believable and dramatic way. Jayne has a distinctive heavy-metal look and is a passable in-ring worker — having proven she can carry her end of a long-form title match with a talented opponent like Jordynne Grace.

She also holds the distinction of being the first to simultaneously hold the NXT Womenâ€s and TNA Knockouts Championships.

Why, then, is she a falling star?

Expectations for Jayneâ€s reign were exceedingly modest, so surpassing them is a low bar. “Better than expected†doesnâ€t mean “good,†and she still falls short of the standard set by past NXT champions.

Her booking hasnâ€t helped. While sheâ€s had some entertaining tag matches with Fatal Influence — most notably a crushing defeat by Rhea Ripley, Lyra Valkyria, and Stephanie Vaquer — her singles competition has been lacking.

Aside from Grace, sheâ€s mostly faced Lainey Reid and TNAâ€s Ash by Elegance — neither particularly over or strong in-ring. Her upcoming opponent at No Mercy, Lola Vice, is only a marginal improvement.

In her five years on NXT TV, Jayne has made notable strides — but are they enough? I donâ€t believe so.

Itâ€s hard to imagine a long-term role for Jayne on the main roster. Sheâ€s not a strong enough promo to anchor a top act, nor good enough in the ring to thrive as an enhancement talent. It will take inspired booking to make this “Rockstar†a success on Raw or SmackDown.

Runner-Up: Nathan Frazer

Frazer is a phenomenal worker.  His incredible speed and high-flying athleticism make him a treat to watch.  However, his booking on Smackdown as one half of a moderately successful tag team with Axiom has slowly but surely defined him down in the eyes of the fans.  Fraxiomâ€s clean loss to the Vision on last weekâ€s Smackdown cements the teamâ€s status as mid-carder gatekeepers.

Frazer has potential as a singles star, or a part of a tag team (perhaps with a more dynamic partner), but WWEâ€s willingness and ability to invest in him wanes with every loss he takes.

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