The 2023 Calendar Year was a year of change for the WWE. It would see Vince McMahon return to sell the company. Through it all though, some superstars put their heads down and went to work. Throughout the year there were some intense battles and unforgettable performances. As the dust settles and the roar of the crowd echoes, it’s time to take a look at which resilient warriors carried the WWE in 2023.

5. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

Alright, I know this is going to be a little misleading. Maybe you could consider one to be an honorable mention. In the title, I said five wrestlers but Zayn and Owens the friendship that they renewed in 2023. Eventually, they won the Tag Team Championships together at Wrestlemania. The Canadian tag team goes way back to 2007, when they debuted together at Ring of Honor. They worked their way up to the WWE together. Sami appeared in 52 matches, while KO appeared in 50. They were clearly at the top of the tag team division when they were together. Their battles with the Bloodline and acceptance of Jey Uso coming to Raw, was one of the biggest storylines of the year.

4. Austin Theory

Whether you like him or hate him, A-Town Down did a lot for the WWE in 2023. Probably, his most impressive win of the year came at Wrestlemania when he beat the legendary John Cena. Outside of that, he was a forced to be reckoned with. He was the United States Champion for most of the year until he lost that on the Aug. 11 edition of Friday Night Smackdown when Rey Mysterio beat him. Theory has totaled 90 matches over the year he carried the WWE with his dynamic in-ring abilities and strategic collaborations. As one of the youngest superstars in the WWE (26), he certainly is a star on the rise.

3. Seth Rollins

One of the biggest babyfaces in the WWE in 2023, Seth “Freaking” Rollins put the World Heavyweight Title back on the map. The first champion since Triple H and WWE Creative brought it back. Many of his 93 matches came while he was the champion. During the beginning half of the year, Rollins was battling with Austin Theory, Bobby Lashley and others for the United States Champion. Since becoming the World Heavyweight Champion his biggest feud has been with the Judgement Day leading up to his match with Finn Balor at SummerSlam.

2. Dominik Mysterio

The son of the legendary Rey Mysterio has been a prolific force in the WWE in 2023. As one of the biggest heels in the WWE today, he’d been everywhere from NXT, Smackdown, Raw, PLEs and mid-card tours. He did it all with over 100 matches in 2023. No matter what match he was in, he brought excitement. He’s going to be a star in the WWE. His reign as the NXT North American Champion was just the beginning of what could be an illustrious career. Mysterio has made history with his father early in his career, not only were the first father-son duo to win the tag titles in 2022, but the firs father-son duo to compete against each other at Wrestlemania in 2023. He’s been a key player in the WWE Universe.

1. Cody Rhodes

Did you really expect anyone else? I don’t mean that in a bad way either. Rhodes has been on the journey of ‘finishing his story’ the same exact way that Cena was when was fueding with The Rock. The WWE has given Cody Rhodes a similar path to finishing his story. At the climax of it all were his fueds with The Bloodline, Brock Lesnar and The Judgement Day. When Jey Uso left Smackdown, Rhodes gave him a second chance. Through it all, The American Nightmare carried the WWE in 2023 both in the ring and on the mic.

***

As we head into 2024, we are looking for more podcasters. Will you Join Us?

Follow Fantom Sports on Twitter!