WWE RISING STARS & FADING STARS: Ex-Champions Dominck Mysterio, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Guilia, Tiffany Stratton, Seth Rollins

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“What do you call an ex-champ? A chump!” – Bobby Heenan

Every new championship reign has its casualties, first and foremost being the dethroned former champion. Giving up a title is typically seen as a defeat. It can signal a failed experiment, confirmation that the performer was unsuccessful in their role as champion. Some wrestlers never recover.

Think of Jinder Mahal. Some might forget the Modern-Day Maharaja’s 170-day reign as WWE Champion in 2017. A.J. Styles hindered Jinder by taking the title, and Jinder’s career never recovered.

Sometimes when a wrestler loses a title, however, they actually win. After a very successful reign, dropping a secondary title may signal an elevation to the main event scene.

Consider here the case of Gunther, whose record 666-day run as Intercontinental Champion ended with a loss to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40. The Ring General immediately advanced to World Title contender, winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship only a few months later.

With a flurry of recent title changes in WWE, we can examine several former champions and consider whether losing the title elevates them or defines them downward.

Rising Star of the Week: Dominick Mysterio

I am of the unpopular opinion that Rey Mysterio is far more lucky than good, but I must concede that “Dirty Dom” is on a roll. The role of someone forced to cheat the system to overcome a lack of talent fits Dom’s on-screen character perfectly because it reflects the real-life performer.

Playing foil to John Cena in high-profile matchups on The Champ’s final appearances on Monday Night Raw elevates Mysterio, despite two straight losses and the end of his Intercontinental Championship reign. Going on to face Cena in the final PLE match of his career even more so. In contrast to C.M. Punk and Cody Rhodes, who were both diminished by their involvement with Cena this year, Mysterio’s stock will only rise.

It seems likely that Mysterio will defeat Cena to recapture the Intercontinental Title at Survivor Series. Cena’s last match doesn’t need the title at stake. His opponent would gain a great deal by defeating him with or without the title, and having Cena retire with the championship seems a poor choice.

Sooner rather than later, expect Mysterio to make a convincing challenger for Punk’s World Heavyweight Championship, along with plenty of lying, cheating, and stealing.

Uncle Eddie would be proud.

Runner-up: Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch is a treasure. Hands-down, the most successful female wrestler of all time, she has devoted 2025 to elevating her contemporaries. Lyra Valkyria and A.J. Lee owe a great deal of their recent success to their rivalries with Lynch and her willingness to put them over, both in the ring and on the mic. “Held down by the man” couldn’t be more ironic.

Big Time Beck’s elevation of Maxxine Dupri is most remarkable of all. Casting Dupri as an inept, earnest underdog works so well because, like that of Mysterio, it matches the performer. For now, Dupri has transformed into an interesting character, an adequately competent wrestler, and a (semi-)legitimate Intercontinental Champion.

The Man has always been above the Intercontinental Title. She belongs in the main event. Her immediate future seems to be a prominent role in the Women’s WarGames match followed by a singles feud with A.J. Lee.

Going forward, expect Lynch to re-enter the world title picture. Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, whose title run is starting out on shaky legs (consisting of weak rivalries with Tiffany Stratton and Nikki Bella), is in desperate need of the rub Lynch could provide.

Second Runner-up (tie): Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss

Prior to WrestleMania, Charlotte was floundering in a high-profile storyline and Alexa Bliss was sidelined and irrelevant. Their partnership, amusing friendship, and a Women’s Tag Team Title run have successfully rehabilitated both. The duo balance each other perfectly, with Bliss’s mic work hiding Charlotte’s weakness, and Charlotte’s ringwork doing the same for Bliss.

Fans’ resentment of Charlotte seems to have been satisfied by her willingness to take on a lesser role, and Bliss has been able to highlight a few likable aspects of Charlotte’s personality.

Both are capable of far more than tag team championship-level programs, and Smackdown is in dire need of such credible challengers for new champion Jade Cargil. Following Survivor Series, I’d expect Cargil to badly hurt Bliss, prompting Flair to avenge her friend.

Honorable Mention: Tatum Paxley

Despite losing the NXT Women’s Title in only 24 days, the shortest reign in the title’s history, Paxley is in a far better position than she was just a month ago.

Paxley made the absolute most of her brief time in the spotlight, winning fans’ approval, establishing her character, and telling a compelling story.

Paxley’s insistence on defending the title honorably exasperated her Culling stablemates. The situation reached a boiling point in Tuesday’s championship match when Paxley refused to use the chair passed to her by Izzy Dame. The furious Culling’s subsequent betrayal of Paxley made perfect sense and sets up an intriguing rivalry with Dame.

Despite its brevity, Paxley’s title reign was a resounding success.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Fading Star of the Week: Guilia

With a fantastic look, innate star power, and terrific ring skills, Guilia seemed a can’t-miss prospect when elevated from NXT.

Yet miss she did, despite the addition of a competent mouthpiece and the United States Championship.

The Beautiful Madness’s title reign, like all those of women’s singles titles on Smackdown this year, has been a disappointment.

WWE creative is well aware, as evidenced by a hasty title change back to Chelsea Green. The entertaining Green never dropped the “head of state” gimmick that meshes so well with the United States Title and can be relied upon to restore the title’s relevance.

Gulia’s ice-cold character is in desperate need of a refresh.

First Runner-Up: Tiffany Stratton

Tiffany Stratton’s October injury was well-timed. Despite a great look and remarkable athleticism, her title reign as WWE Women’s Champion never quite clicked.

An unlikeable babyface, Stratton’s character never made sense. Her promos were stilted and awkward, only made worse by the overuse of her tired “Tiffy Time” catchphrase.

Stratton was at her best in her NXT role of a conceited mean girl, although Blake Monroe is more compelling in a similar role.

Hopefully the time off her injury necessitates will allow a re-envisioning of her character and presentation.

Tiffy time had long outstayed its welcome.

Second Runner-Up: Seth Rollins

Unlike Stratton, Seth Rollins’s injury could not have come at a worse time. His creation of the Vision, several months in the making, had finally reached fruition when he captured the World Heavyweight Championship and Crown Jewel Championship.

Although he’s always been an imperfect performer and lacked chemistry with his Vision stablemates, Rollins succeeded in his role as a hypocritical mastermind. His vendetta against C.M. Punk and vow that Punk would never again win the world title worked well for both.

Rollins will be a centerpiece act when he returns from injury, but it seems doubtful he’ll be able to step back into his role as the leader of the Vision, the most compelling character had been since his time as The Authority’s corporate champion a decade before. WWE Creative will be hard-pressed to find a part that fits him as well.

Redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim? A Regrettable Rehash.