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New years are a time for new beginnings, and that's an axiom that holds as much water in the WWE as anywhere else. A new year represents a chance to fling off the fetters of past history and endeavor to make new strides toward lofty goals.
But we would be remiss if we were to discount the influence of past experience upon the new year. It's a new decade, the 2010s are a thing of the past, but the past can continue to haunt you well into the future.
2019 was arguably the most tumultuous year that WWE has experienced in a very long time. The company drew both criticism and praise for having its first-ever all-female main event at Wrestlemania 35. Then there was the monumental deal with Fox network to change the home of Smackdown Live.
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And, of course, there was the emergence of a new challenger who has put the WWE on notice that they are coming for the traditional market share.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
In the midst of all this chaos, how did the individual WWE Superstars fare? We take an in-depth look at the ten biggest movers and shakers on WWE television and attempt to rate them objectively to find out who was the top Superstar of 2019.
#1 Brock Lesnar
Let's start with the Elephant in the room, arguably the most polarizing figure in all of WWE, the Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar.
Fans are divided upon how valuable Brock Lesnar is to the company. In the eyes of some, he's an attraction that brings plenty of eyes to the product. But others believe that his worth is vastly outstripped by negatives of having part-time talent featured so prominently as part of WWE programming.
Without further ado, here are Brock's scores for 2019.
Win/Loss Record: With only eight matches in WWE, Brock Lesnar managed to win six of them and against stiff competition to boot. Grade: B+
Championships: Lesnar reigned as either the Universal Champion or the WWE Champion for most of the year. Can't get better than that. Grade: A+
Mass Media Appeal: Brock Lesnar is a household name, and there are monks cloistered away in the mountains who know who he is and what he looks like. Grade: A+
Industry Influence: This is a tricky category for Brock. On the one hand, his in-ring style is anything but innovative. On the other, he's created a new niche in the pro wrestling industry for part-time talent. Brock splits the difference in this category: Grade: C
Overall Grade: B+ Brock might be a part-timer and might infuriate a lot of fans, but he had a stellar and dominant 2019.
#2 AJ Styles
Never say never: At one point, no one could have dreamed that AJ Styles would wrestle in a WWE ring, let alone be as wildly successful as he has been.
Arguably the best all-around performer on any brand, AJ maintains a top tier fitness regimen to keep up with men literally half his age. How was AJ's 2019, however?
Win/Loss Record: With 23 wins and 24 losses, AJ splits the difference with an average grade. Grade: C
Championships: AJ started the year as the WWE Champion, but then downgraded to the US Championship, which he eventually lost to Rey Mysterio. Not shabby at all. Grade: A
Mass Media Appeal: Unlike many other wrestlers on our list, AJ is primarily only known to pro wrestling and sports entertainment fandom, and has little presence outside of the industry. Grade: D
Industry Influence: AJ Styles has been influencing in-ring work since his debut over twenty years ago. He's also set the standard for how an aging superstar is supposed to perform. Grade: A+
Overall Grade: B- AJ is simply phenomenal, but between stepping down to the mid-card and his average win-loss record he scores a bit higher than one would expect.
#3 Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura is a controversial figure in WWE, almost as much as Brock Lesnar is. However, in Nakamura's case it stems not from part-time status, but mid-card status. Many fans believe Nakamura should be in the main event picture or at least much higher on the card than he is.
How did Nakamura fare in 2019?
Win/Loss Record: With 12 wins and a staggering 24 losses, Shinsuke has seen better years. Grade: D
Championships: Shinsuke Nakamura reigned as the Intercontinental Champion for half of the year. Not bad, but it's still just a mid-card belt. Grade: B.
Mass Media Appeal: Shinsuke Nakamura is a household name in his native Japan, but not many in other parts of the world other than wrestling fans can identify him on sight. Grade: C-
Industry Influence: Many have tried to copy Nakamura's artistic grace, with varying degrees of success, but he remains a unique individual. Grade: B+
Overall Grade: C+ Shinsuke wound up having only a so-so year, despite a lengthy reign as IC Champion.
#4 Daniel Bryan
2019 saw the full-time wrestling return of Daniel Bryan as he sought to navigate the new course of his revitalized career.
Allegedly, Bryan has been booking himself, which should put his scores from a different perspective.
Win/Loss Record: With 16 wins and 22 losses, Bryan's grade isn't spectacular but it isn't bad either. Grade: C+
Championships: Daniel Bryan started the year, and went into WrestleMania, as the WWE Champion. He also enjoyed a few reigns as a Tag Team Champion. Grade: A
Mass Media Appeal: As beloved as Daniel Bryan is by the wrestling fandom at large, not many outside of sports entertainment have heard of him, with the notable exception of his appearances on Total Divas and Total Bellas. Grade: C+
Industry Influence: Daniel Bryan will go down in history as being one of the most influential performers of his generation, and his willingness to book himself to improve other Superstar's careers should not be discounted. Grade: A+
Overall Grade: B+ Daniel Bryan had a great 2019, hampered only by his descent into the mid-card before turning face late in the year.
#5 Seth Rollins
The man who would be Beast Slayer has certainly been all over the wrestling map for the majority of 2019. His change from babyface to heel seemed long overdue, though he always has his fairly vocal supporters in the crowd.
How did 2019 treat the Crossfit Jesus?
Win/Loss Record: With an astounding 42 wins and only 6 losses, Rollins had the best record in 2019 so far. Grade: A+
Championships: Seth Rollins reigned as the WWE Universal Champion for most of the year. Can't get much better than that. Grade: A+
Mass Media Appeal: Are you kidding? LOLZ Seth Rollins is virtually unknown outside the wrestling industry. Grade: F
Industry Influence: Seth Rollins continues to influence the industry with both his in-ring style and his character and promos. Grade: B
Overall Grade: B+ Seth had a stellar 2019, but his lack of media appeal and somewhat falling stock hurt his overall grade.
#6 Roman Reigns
The Big Dog has been one of the most polarizing figures in the WWE... in the past. But most of that had to do with his Superman booking rather than a distaste for the man himself.
But when Roman had to step back to fight a recurrence of leukemia, the fans united as one behind him. They have by and large remained that way since, resulting in a career trajectory change for the Big Dog. How did he fare in 2019?
Win/Loss Record: With 29 wins and 12 losses, Roman Reigns had a great record in 2019. Grade: A
Championships: Poor Roman didn't wear a single title belt for the entire year. Not a single one. Grade: F
Mass Media Appeal: With appearances in the Fast and the Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw, and his very public battle with cancer, Roman has a decent mass media footprint. Grade: B
Industry Influence: Roman Reigns will never be considered a technical wizard, but he is consistent and rarely hurts his opponents for real. Grade:C-
Overall Grade: B. Roman had, overall, a very good year but his lack of title wins or reigns hampered his overall score.
#7 Baron Corbin
There's probably not a more despised man in the entire WWE than King Baron Corbin. Most of this is due to the fact that he is featured prominently on WWE programming while failing to resonate with the WWE audience.
But Corbin is not to be blamed for his booking, and truth to tell he's an above-average wrestler who rarely injures his opponents for real. How did 2019 treat Corbin?
Win/Loss Record: With 23 wins and 26 losses, Corbin splits the difference with an average grade. Grade: C
Championships: Technically, Baron Corbin didn't have any title reigns, though he had frequent shots at the Universal belt. However, he did win the King of the Ring, which is sort of like a championship. Grade: B
Mass Media Appeal: Not much going on for Corbin here, because his NFL career was so short it doesn't help his media appeal. Grade: F
Industry Influence: Much like other big men on our list, Corbin isn't a great technician but he's good at using what brought him to the dance. That counts for some influence. Grade: C
Overall Grade: C+ Corbin had arguably one of the biggest years of his career, but his average win-loss record and lack of championships hampered his overall grade.
#8 Kofi Kingston
In his decade-and-a-half long WWE career, Kofi Kingston has been one of the most consistent, athletic, and amazing performers on the roster.
He's held numerous championships, but he finally captured the big belt in 2019 to the great joy of many. How was his year overall?
Win/Loss Record: With 41 wins and only nine losses, Kofi has the best record on our list so far. Grade: A+
Championships: Kofi captured the WWE Championship and reigned with it for most of the year. His frequent defenses were against top tier talent, adding to his prestige. Grade: A+
Mass Media Appeal: Because of his involvement with the New Day and Xavier Woods' Up-Up-Down-Down channel, Kofi is known outside of the wrestling world. Grade: C+
Industry Influence: Kofi is often imitated but never duplicated, and has set a new standard on how to be a pure babyface champion. Grade: B
Overall Grade: A- Hands down, Kofi had the best year of his career in 2019 with a crowd-pleasing Cinderella story.
#9 Adam Cole
At one time, it was thought that Adam Cole would never grace a WWE ring with his august presence, despite being one of the most versatile and technical performers in the world today.
The reason was simple; he was 'too small' for the WWE. But Triple H's NXT brand has seen the rise of many 'too small' wrestlers who have gone on to achieve amazing things. How was Adam Cole's 2019?
Win/Loss Record: Some time spent recovering from injury meant Adam Cole only wrestled a handful of matches in 2019, but with five wins and three losses he won more than he lost. Grade: B
Championships: Adam Cole reigned as the NXT champion and the unofficial leader of Undisputed Era. Grade: A
Mass Media Appeal: Not many outside of the wrestling industry recognize Adam Cole. Grade: D
Industry Influence: Adam Cole has been on the cutting edge of pro wrestling evolution almost since he first laced up a pair of boots. Grade: A+
Overall Grade: B- Cole's low activity hampered his score somewhat, but it's still impressive.
#10 Bray Wyatt (The Fiend)
You can't discount WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt at any time, in any way.
The man once known as Husky Harris was thought to have an arduous climb to escape the shadow of his famous father, Mike Rotunda. But to be fair Wyatt has already accomplished more in his career than Rotunda ever did. How was his 2019?
Win/Loss Record: With 11 wins and 4 losses, Wyatt made up for lost-time after returning from injury in August. Grade: A
Championships: The Fiend captured the Universal Championship and has held onto it with an iron grasp. Grade: A
Mass Media Appeal: Thanks to the crossover appeal of Firefly Fun House, Wyatt enjoys a decent mass media footprint. Grade: C
Industry Influence: Absolutely cutting edge in every aspect of his performances. Grade: A+
Overall Grade: B+. Bray Wyatt emerged as the biggest star of 2019 in WWE, but he missed three quarters of the year before that happened. Still impressive.
And the WWE Superstar who had the best 2019 is... KOFI KINGSTON
Everyone loves a Cinderella story, and that's just what WWE fans got to witness in 2019 as long-suffering mid-carder Kofi Kingston finally ascended to the main event picture and captured one of WWE's 'big belts'.
Not only did he capture the WWE Championship, but he also defended it against all comers, and became one of the most fighting champions in recent memory.
Kofi's ascent into the main event picture was the 'feel good' story of 2019 in WWE. The company should be applauded for resisting the impulse to turn Kofi into a heel and break up the New Day. Kofi and the New Day have become synonymous, and he really does stand out as a pure babyface, which is no mean feat in today's industry.
There you have it; the WWE Superstar who enjoyed the best 2019 is Kofi Kingston. And a well deserved year it was for him.
Thanks for reading and we'll see you next year.
