WWE, AEW power rankings (Sept. 2025): It's Stephanie Vaquer's world — has wrestling found its next breakout star?

Ordinarily we keep these power rankings a monthly affair. But after a blockbuster weekend for both promotions — as WWE made its ESPN debut with Wrestlepalooza and AEW delivered its latest installment of All Out — a special update felt appropriate.

After all, if Wrestlepalooza surely does mark the beginning of a new era for WWE — as Michael Cole claimed more than once on commentary — we should probably mark the occasion. And with five titles on the line at All Out (and the potential for the TNT championship to switch hands too if shenanigans occurred), there were plenty of opportunities for competitors to leave Toronto in a stronger position than they arrived.

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So following another big weekend in pro-wrestling, here’s who rules the roost across the major promotions right now.

MEN’S POWER RANKINGS

10. AJ Styles (Prev: NR)

Since failing to clinch the Intercontinental Championship last month, AJ Styles has had an intriguing few weeks. After an angry promo in which Styles appeared to express genuine frustrations toward management — and which was cleverly broadcast during the “break” on Netflix — there were even rumors he might jump ship to AEW. It clearly caught the attention of John Cena, who publicly called out Triple H by name on Tuesday morning for a final match with “The Phenomenal One” — a request that has now been granted. Could a new episode of "WWE Unreal" be in the works, I wonder...

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9. MJF (Prev: NR)

For all his God-given charisma, MJF tends to be a bit of a cyclical superstar: Sometimes he feels like the most compelling heel in AEW, and at other times he treads water. He’s certainly on a great run right now, going straight from his world title shot at Forbidden Door in London to a suitably bloody feud with Mark Briscoe at All Out. And let’s not forget the fact that he still hasn’t cashed in that Casino Gauntlet contract.

8. Dom Mysterio (Prev: 7)

As most of us expected, “Dirty Dom” hit the jackpot in Las Vegas, leaving Sin City as the new AAA Mega Champion. While he might not get those decibel-busting boos from the crowd anymore (if anything, they’re more likely to cheer him these days), young Mysterio clearly has the full confidence of WWE management, who continue to push him higher each month. How long before he is main-eventing an actual WWE PLE, rather than just a crossover event?

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7. CM Punk (Prev: 5)

Chivalry was the flavor of the month for CM Punk, who willingly took a back seat to his wife — the fantastic AJ Lee — in the build-up to their big couples match against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch at Wrestlepalooza. In truth, showing his softer side was probably no bad thing for “The Second City Saint,” who has been a consistent fan favorite since his shock return to the WWE back at the end of 2023. As things stand, being a babyface looks like his best route to getting another world title shot.

6. Hangman Adam Page (Prev: 6)

If there were ever any doubts that AEW’s new World Champion could carry the company, they must surely be extinguished now, as “Hangman” pulled out all the stops for his first pay-per-view main-event title defense at All Out. While it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Toronto crowd were firmly behind their champion, Page also did a good job of building up Kyle Fletcher as a potential world-beater. That’s what the best wrestlers do: They lift up their opponents.

5. Drew McIntyre (Prev: 8)

After a year of frustratingly uneven booking, Drew McIntyre finally got the main event he deserved this weekend. In truth, no one really expected him to beat Cody Rhodes (though speculation ran wild online when WWE announced the match would close out Wrestlepalooza), but McIntyre still looked every inch the big, bad heel as he squared off against the Universal Champion in Indianapolis. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that WWE gives him more opportunities like that.

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4. Brock Lesnar (Prev: 3)

Following weeks of anticipation, “The Beast Incarnate” kicked off WWE’s ESPN era with an utter demolition of John Cena, serving up more F5s than most of us would care to count. You can quibble with the decision all you like, but there’s no arguing that Lesnar has rarely looked more ferocious than he did on Saturday. All things considered, I still expect Cena to get revenge by Christmas, but good luck to whoever ends up in Lesnar’s sights after that. God knows they’ll need it.

3. John Cena (Prev: 1)

As he enters the final stretch of his retirement tour, John Cena has the crowds eating out of his palm. Just listen to those ovations he’s received for his past few appearances. Losing to Lesnar may have taken some of the air out of that balloon temporarily, but it also gives “Big Match John” the chance to deliver the mother of all redemption arcs later this year. Yes, I know — the WWE insists there will be no rematch. But does anyone honestly believe that?

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2. Seth Rollins (Prev: 2)

He may have needed his wife to help out, but Seth Rollins entered Wrestlepalooza finally looking like WWE’s most dastardly heel. The big question, though, is where things go from here. Having bagged the world title and assembled the most dominant faction on “Raw,” Rollins already feels like the man who has inherited his kingdom. Then again, there is still the small matter of the Crown Jewel championship…

1. Cody Rhodes (Prev: 4)

Given his reputation as “The Quarterback” of WWE, it was apt that Cody Rhodes got to close out the first ESPN PLE by standing victorious with his Universal Championship. While any hints of a heel turn seem to have disappeared for now, WWE continues to tease the idea that Rhodes might at least be fallible — with a ref bump preventing a McIntyre victory at one point. Does that leave Rhodes ripe for defeat against his old adversary Seth Rollins in Perth? Color me intrigued, if so.

WOMEN’S POWER RANKINGS

10. Mercedes Moné (Prev: NR)

Even in a business that does spectacle like no other, Mercedes Moné knows how to make a statement. Being ushered down to the ring by a formation of muscle-bound Chippendale types — all holding one of her nine (!!!) championship titles — was her latest such stunt at All Out. Even better, Moné went on to have a match that justified the fanfare, narrowly getting the better of Riho to defend her TBS belt.

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9. Toni Storm (Prev: 5)

Having praised her to the skies during her reign as champion, I felt a twinge of sadness watching “Timeless” Toni Storm drop her gold at All Out — though the Hollywood starlet can presumably comfort herself in the knowledge that it’s better to bow out on a high, rather than overstay your welcome in the limelight. Whatever happens next, Storm deserves credit for revitalizing AEW’s women’s division — and keeping us thoroughly entertained in the process.

8. Asuka (Prev: NR)

It’s fair to say WWE didn’t exactly bring its A-game when it came to pushing Asuka’s “big” return back in the summer. Still, at least the creative team appear to be making up for that now, putting “The Empress of Tomorrow” front and center on “Raw,” as tensions continue to rise between her and Iyo Sky. With Crown Jewel approaching next month, Asuka is more than overdue for a big PLE match.

7. Iyo Sky (Prev: 6)

What’s that schmaltzy old Oprah saying about how true stars shine their light on others? That has to be Iyo Sky right now, who has spent much of the past year being the foil for someone else — whether it's Rhea Ripley, Naomi or Stephanie Vaquer. Of course, it helps that Iyo Sky remains one of the single-best performers in pro-wrestling. If her losing to champions means we get to see more of her wrestle, I’m fine with that.

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6. Tiffany Stratton (Prev: 3)

Does WWE know what to do with Tiffany Stratton? Yes, it’s true she may have been injured over the past couple of weeks, but it wasn’t like she was being booked particularly regularly — or particularly well — before then. For a case in point, look at her upcoming triple threat on “SmackDown,” in which she faces a challenger she’s beaten countless times before (Nia Jax) and another with whom she has zero in-ring chemistry (Jade Cargill). Surely she deserves better?

5. Kris Statlander (Prev: NR)

Having now dethroned both Jade Cargill and Toni Storm as champions, Kris Statlander has to have one of the most impressive résumés in AEW history — even if she hasn’t always received as much attention as some of her more extravagant rivals. After her big win at All Out, she becomes the first competitor to hold both of AEW’s women’s titles. Could that even make her the next target for Mercedes Moné?

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4. Becky Lynch (Prev: 1)

Ever since her crushing victory over Lyra Valkyria at SummerSlam, Becky Lynch has been exploring new terrain with her revamped villainous persona — and doing so brilliantly. Now she can even add executing a successful couple’s match to her list of achievements. In case you didn’t know it by now, “The Man” is among the very best to ever do it — even if she does like to say so herself from time to time.

3. Rhea Ripley (Prev: 2)

Having been the alpha female on “Raw” throughout the entire Netflix era, Rhea Ripley looks set to receive star billing as WWE returns to her home country of Australia next month. Right now, all signs point towards Ripley’s temporary alliance with Iyo Sky being tested as the duo take on the Kabuki Warriors in a star-studded tag match. It might not be the massive singles feud we’ve been waiting for, but it’s a good start.

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2. AJ Lee (Prev: NR)

After a superb build-up to the couples match, AJ Lee delivered on expectations at Wrestlepalooza — an exceptional feat for a woman who hasn’t competed in a professional wrestling match for more than a decade. As expected, it was Lee and Lynch who ended up sharing the pivotal moments in the match — as well as getting in some attacks on the men — setting up the tantalizing possibility of a singles feud between the duo next.

1. Stephanie Vaquer (Prev: 4)

While it was obvious that Stephanie Vaquer was destined for stardom the minute she arrived in WWE, did anyone expect her to end up a world champion after less than six months on the main roster? That said, you can’t say that Vaquer doesn’t fit the role perfectly, particularly after putting on the match of the night at Wrestlepalooza. Her elevation feels like a big change for the women’s division, upping the stakes nicely for the end of the year.