WWE's 8 Most Valuable Players of 2019 so far

#6 Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle has lived up to the considerable hype that preceded him before arriving in WWE last year. The former mixed martial artist has parlayed his reputation on the independent circuit into high praise in NXT. After a solid start last fall, he was involved in several match of the year candidates in the first half of 2019.

His rivalry with Velveteen Dream was him at his apogee so far. Though he came up short in that contest, he definitely made a lot of new fans, both for his considerable skill in the ring and his ability to tell a story with his opponent.

Only good things await him from here on out. He's the heavy favorite to be the next NXT Champion after Adam Cole.

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#5 Ricochet

Of all the NXT call ups this year, Ricochet has surprisingly done the best. He was involved in many great matches in the winter alongside Aleister Black. After that alliance broke up, Ricochet was a consistent highlight of a string of some of the worst Raws of the year. His matches with Cesaro were oases in the desert.

Now, after a match with Samoa Joe that stood out on the Stomping Grounds card, it looks like Ricochet is going to enter a rivalry with AJ Styles. That should be awesome.

Ricochet hasn't blown the world away this year, but consistent quality is about the best you can ask for of WWE in 2019.