The current landscape of WWE sees many rising stars and established names to end the 2010s decade. Every superstar has the desire to become a bigger star in the 2020s to continue progressing in their careers. The future is unpredictable, but we can be certain that only a few select names will break out. Meanwhile, others will see their careers regressing by taking a step back.
We will look at both the wrestlers likely to rise and fall each in the upcoming decade. Some names can move into the main event picture to get that huge role in the company. Certain talents will be forced to fall into the background without much of a platform. Find out just which superstars are likely to have scenarios on each side of the story. These are five WWE stars that will become main eventers in the 2020s, along with five that will fall off.
10 Main eventer: Andrade
Andrade's potential is as high as any rising star in WWE today. In NXT, fans got to see him at his best with his NXT Championship reign finding great success. The pairing of Andrade and Zelina Vega provides perfect chemistry.
Any of Andrade’s weaknesses are filled by Zelina's skills. WWE reportedly views Andrade as a future world champion. They even respected his relationship with Charlotte Flair to move them both to Raw in the draft. Andrade is already important to WWE and has all the tools to take over the next decade.
9 Fall off: Baron Corbin
WWE has tried for many years to make Baron Corbin the top heel on the roster. Corbin’s biggest opportunity to thrive came with the Money in the Bank briefcase. The original plan was for him to win the WWE Championship changed when he lost his title shot to Jinder Mahal.
Corbin’s push is once again going strong with the King of the Ring win and a feud against Roman Reigns. Criticism towards the program has seen SmackDown viewed negatively. Corbin’s worst moments will eventually see the time run out of his opportunities.
8 Main eventer: Keith Lee
NXT stars usually struggle on Raw or SmackDown due to having to win Vince McMahon over. Despite the fans being aware of their NXT run, McMahon must be sold before anyone gets a huge push. Keith Lee showed that Vince could fall in love with an NXT talent instantly.
Reports indicated that Lee was a favorite of McMahon during the inclusion of NXT in the Survivor Series build and show itself. The booking of the male elimination tag match saw Lee get the spotlight eliminating Seth Rollins and going toe to toe with Roman Reigns. Vince is going to push Lee to the moon when he does become part of the main roster.
7 Fall off: Shorty G
Chad Gable’s transition to the Shorty G character came after the storyline of others mocking him for his height. The talent of Shorty G is enough to provide entertainment in his limited opportunities, but a push is needed to become a legitimate star moving up the card.
This gimmick and name came off like a horrible idea on paper. Even the gear change looks silly as Gable has yet to find much success on SmackDown. Shorty G is likely going to doom him and prevent Gable from ever becoming an upper-level star in WWE.
6 Main eventer: Aleister Black
The success of Aleister Black on NXT showed his full potential as a top singles star. Black’s character work, presentation, and in-ring skills all made him a highly entertaining star. The transition to the main roster has featured a slow build, but Black still gets to be himself.
WWE will eventually give Black an opportunity and he will hit a home run when given the chance. Black’s peak is as good as anyone else on the roster when given the chance to showcase it. Fans will be in for a tremendous time when Black takes over the next decade.
5 Fall off: Braun Strowman
WWE’s use of Braun Strowman has been hit or miss for many years now. There are times when Strowman is booked as the most unstoppable man on the roster, but he almost always loses in the big match situations.
Strowman’s losses to Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, and even Tyson Fury lowered his ceiling in WWE. The booking is quite similar to Big Show. While that’s a positive in general, it’s a sign that Braun will start moving down the card in the 2020s.
4 Main eventer: Ricochet
Fans have taken positively to Ricochet following his debut on the main roster in early 2019. Ricochet had a great run in NXT establishing himself as one of the most exciting wrestlers in the world. The impressive work done by Ricochet against top names like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe added to his reputation.
Ricochet is among the most important young stars for WWE heading into the new decade. The appeal of Ricochet could make him a top face for many years. Ricochet already is over with most of the crowd. WWE giving him a bigger push will give them a new main eventer when the time is right.
3 Fall off: Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura's run in WWE has been wildly inconsistent with some great performances and disappointing ones. Fans of Nakamura were ecstatic about him joining WWE, but most of his big matches have underwhelmed like his WrestleMania 34 WWE Championship bout against AJ Styles.
WWE is using Nakamura in a solid role ending the decade as the United States Champion. Furthermore, Nakamura's age will just slow down his push. This is likely Nakamura's final relevant run holding a title during his WWE career.
2 Main eventer: Adam Cole
Adam Cole's success in NXT has played a huge role in the brand’s growth. Cole is an outstanding performer that has reached the top of just about every promotion he has worked for. His time in NXT leading the Undisputed Era has seen Cole already become an all-time great NXT Champion.
Cole clearly will fit in when he eventually moves to Raw or SmackDown. During the road to Survivor Series, Cole came off as an equal to Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan. Cole is the future of WWE and will likely main event many shows for the company in the 2020s.
1 Fall off: Randy Orton
Randy Orton has been a fixture in WWE’s main event picture over the past fifteen years. His legacy is already defined as a legend, but he was not at the absolute top level. Orton is now revered at the same level as names like John Cena, The Undertaker, and The Rock.
WWE will use Orton for as long as he wants to wrestle. The difference is that they will eventually move him to lower down the card. Orton is already getting slotted into the mid-card picture. This is where he will likely spend most of the 2020s as he enters the final chapters of his career.