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A lot has changed in the WWE over the course of the past year. Jinder Mahal was the WWE Champion, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady were still with the company, and Brock Lesnar was dominating Monday Night Raw. (Okay, maybe not that much has changed...)
Quite a lot can change in a year, especially the rankings of WWE Superstars. Since Summerslam 2017, we've seen new tag teams formed, new stars come up from NXT, and former champions fall from grace.
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Today, we're going to go through the top five WWE superstars who have risen through the ranks of the company, and five who have fallen into near obscurity.
#5 Rusev-Risen
The Bulgarian Brute may not have earned a title since Summerslam last year, but Rusev has certainly become even more of a fan favourite since then. Rusev Day chants dominate almost every event held by the WWE, and his hype man Aiden English gets a decent bit of love from the crowd as well.
Rusev has failed to capture any gold in the past year, but he's been involved in high calibre matches, even challenging for the United States Championship and WWE Championship on multiple occasions. He also found himself standing across the ring from the Undertaker earlier this year when he took the Deadman on in a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble.
While no one is exactly sure where Rusev will go from here, and with Rusev Day seemingly falling apart at the seems, times are looking tough for him. But he's come a long way from his ten-second loss to Randy Orton at last year's Summerslam.
#5 Baron Corbin - Fallen
Hair isn't the only thing Corbin has lost since the summer of 2017. Some assumed that the Lone Wolf would be on his way to the top of the card when he won the Money in the Bank Briefcase last year. However, with an embarrassing failed cash in, thanks to John Cena, Corbin was left with nothing. At Summerslam, Corbin was openly mocked by Cena, who didn't take the former Mr. MITB seriously.
While he did pick up some gold afterwards, taking the United States Championship off of AJ Styles at Hell In A Cell. However, it was a less than stellar reign. While he defeated Styles the week after to retain the belt, his only other successful title defense was against Sin Cara. He would eventually lose the title to Dolph Ziggler, who would then disappear from Smackdown Live, dropping the title.
Some assumed Corbin would be thrown right back into title contention, and when a tournament was announced to find a new champion, he seemed like a guy who would make it to the finals. However, he was eliminated in the first round by Bobby Roode, who went on to win the belt in the finals.
Corbin has now found himself working Monday Nights as the Constable of Raw, wrestling in a suit instead of his old ring gear, and sporting a newly buzzed haircut. At this point in his career, Corbin is nothing more than a lackey for Stephanie McMahon, who is embarrassed almost every week by guys like Roman Reigns and Finn Balor. For a guy with so much potential, it's tough to see how badly the WWE dropped the ball with him.
#4 Bray Wyatt - Risen
2017 was not Bray Wyatt's year, which is strange considering he won the WWE Championship near the beginning. The Eater of Worlds looked to finally be on his way to dominating the WWE like fans expected until unexpectedly losing the title to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33, not even getting a rematch for it before he was moved to Monday Night Raw.
Wyatt moved on to a feud with Finn Balor, who picked up a win at last year's Summerslam. However, they had a hard time continuing their feud when Wyatt came down with an unknown sickness that plagued the WWE locker room that fall. When he came back, he began a rivalry with Matt Hardy, who, through all of Wyatt's mind games, finally became Woken. The feud didn't exactly live up to the hype that fans had given it since Hardy was Broken in TNA, but an Ultimate Deletion between the two really brought the fans around.
Wyatt wasn't seen after the match aired until WrestleMania 34, where he helped Matt Hardy win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Since then, the two have worked as a tag team, going by the name The Deleters of Worlds. Wyatt and Hardy even captured the Raw Tag Team Championships, defeating The Bar, who dominated the tag division on Monday Nights for a year and a half, at Greatest Royal Rumble.
A car wreck would end up hindering their title reign, and the two would lose their titles to the B-Team at Extreme Rules. However, even without gold around his waist, Wyatt seems to be back on the right path. Who knows where he'll be on the card a year from now.
#4 The Usos - Fallen
Jimmy and Jey Uso absolutely shone throughout 2017. The brothers spent a majority of the year dominating Tuesday night's tag division and had one of the best tag team rivalries in years with the New Day when they joined the Smackdown Live roster.
Their feud continued into 2018, where they were on their way to putting on a show-stealing performance at WrestleMania 34. However, the Bludgeon Brothers ruined their match at Fastlane, interjecting themselves into the Mania match. The Usos and the New Day would be demolished by Luke Harper and Eric Rowan, and when they tried to reclaim their titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble but were sent packing in a little over five minutes.
Since then, they've been unable to get back into title contention, and have more or less been the welcome wagon for new teams on the Blue Brand, recently getting pummeled by Sanity in their debut, though they managed to steal a win during their feud.
Jimmy and Jey aren't having a horrible year by any means, but when you compare their run in 2018 to 2017, they've quickly fallen down the ranks, and it's tough to see that considering they, along with the New Day, were the best thing going for Smackdown Live last year.
#3 The Bludgeon Brothers - Risen
Speaking of the Bludgeon Brothers, what a year they've had. Rowan and Harper were forgotten by the time Summerslam rolled around last year, even though Luke Harper had a match of the year candidate with Randy Orton at the Elimination Chamber PPV a few months prior.
Since they were repackaged in October, those two have completely wrecked the SD Live tag division. Running through the likes of the Hype Bros, the Ascension and Breezango in their first few months back as a team, they finally got a shot at the tag team titles. The former Wyatt Family members annihilated the New Day and the Usos at Fastlane, and ran through them at WrestleMania 34, defeating the two best tag teams in the WWE in less than six minutes.
Harper and Rowan have been unbeatable, and have crushed any opposition that has tried to stand in their way. This year, they get to defend the Smackdown Tag Team Championships against the New Day at Summerslam, when they weren't even on the card last year. Talk about a huge, and well deserved, turn around.
#3 Natalya - Fallen
Natalya is a living legend. The Queen of Harts has had a storied career in the WWE and celebrated Summerslam last year by defeating Naomi for the Smackdown Women's Championship. She even defended her title against Charlotte Flair down the road. However, her short 86 day reign came to an end on an episode of Smackdown when Charlotte finally won the championship.
Since then, it's been all downhill for Natalya. She was unsuccessful in her rematch against Charlotte at Clash of the Champions, failed to win the Women's Royal Rumble, and was moved to Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania 34.
Since showing up on Raw, she's been relegated to the role of Ronda Rousey's best friend, usually being shown trying to help train the former UFC champion or needing Rousey's aid in some fashion. It was a steep descent for Natalya, who doesn't even seem to be appearing on the card this year.
#2 Alexa Bliss - Risen
I guess this is more of a case of maintaining the status quo with Alexa Bliss. The Goddess never left the title picture since she lost the Raw Women's Championship to Sasha Banks at last year's Summerslam.
Bliss didn't wait long to get her title back, defeating Sasha Banks just eight days later. She then successfully defended the championship against the likes of Bayley, Sasha, Nia Jax, Mickie James, and Emma. She would even survive the first ever Women's Elimination Chamber match, and also got some popularity with the fans when she teamed with Braun Strowman in the Mixed Match Challenge.
While she lost her championship to Nia Jax at WrestleMania 34, she would win the Money in the Bank briefcase on June 17, and cash in later that night, ruining Ronda Rousey's opportunity while taking the title off of her former friend.
Bliss will defend the Raw Women's Championship against Ronda Rousey at Summerslam this year in a match that will probably get some high billing considering Rousey's status and Bliss's domination over the division since her main roster debut in 2016.
#2 Big Cass - Fallen
I mean, you can't fall much farther than being fired from the company.
Big Cass was in the middle of a heel turn last year when he defeated Big Show in a match at Summerslam. His former partner, Enzo Amore, was suspended overhead in a shark cage.
On August 21, however, Cass was injured in a street fight against Enzo Amore, tearing his ACL. While he was out rehabbing, Enzo would go on to trash Cass while simultaneously capturing the Cruiserweight Championship, essentially dominating that division for four months before his release.
Cass returned to TV on April 17 when he was drafted to Smackdown Live, beginning a rivalry with the recently reinstated Daniel Bryan. In a feud that was built around the height and power of Big Cass against the skill and experience of Daniel Bryan, Cass was mercilessly beaten by Bryan on multiple occasions. His last match was at Money in the Bank, where Bryan made him tap out. Cass was then released from the company, as the WWE cited behavioral issues including public intoxication.
Big Cass will make his return to the ring in September under the new name "Big Cazz." Hopefully, the end of 2018 brings something better for the former WWE star.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura - Risen
Last year, Shinsuke Nakamura lost to Jinder Mahal at Summerslam, failing to capture the WWE Championship. The former NXT Champion had quite a tough 2017 on the main roster, failing to win any gold or any worthwhile feuds. His 2018 started out well, though, winning the Royal Rumble Match and clinching a title opportunity at WrestleMania 34.
Shinsuke called his shot the night he won the Rumble, saying that he wanted to face AJ Styles at WrestleMania. Nakamura - Styles was a match that fans never thought they'd see in the WWE, let alone for the WWE Championship on the Grandest Stage of Them All. While some fans didn't quite enjoy their match, Nakamura shocked the WWE Universe with a heel turn, capturing their attention yet again. Since then, he's spent a majority of his time striking his opponents in the groin.
Nakamura never won the WWE Championship, losing every title match to AJ Styles. However, he did win the United States Championship from Jeff Hardy at Extreme Rules after a low blow and a Kinshasa took out the Charismatic Enigma.
While he didn't win the WWE title in 2018, a heel turn refreshed Nakamura's character, and with a title finally around his waist, the Cheapshot Artist has finally found his place on Tuesday nights.
#1 Jinder Mahal - Fallen
No one expected to see Jinder Mahal capture the WWE Title last year. If anyone had told you that Mahal would take the belt from Orton after only recently taking it away from Bray Wyatt, you would've laughed.
Jinder Mahal did, though, win the title, and beat Randy Orton multiple times in their feud. After dominating the Viper, he would go onto successfully defend his championship against the King of Strong Style, Shinsuke Nakamura. Mahal then again defeated Nakamura at Hell In A Cell, yet again defeating a crowd favourite and escaping with the WWE Title. His luck ran out when he faced AJ Styles, though, and he lost the belt to the Phenomenal One on an episode of Smackdown prior to Survivor Series.
Since then, Mahal moved down to the United States Championship, eventually winning the title from Bobby Roode in a fatal-4-way at WrestleMania 34. He would quickly lose the belt to Jeff Hardy, though, when he was drafted to Monday Night Raw during the Superstar Shakeup and failed to win it back at the Greatest Royal Rumble.
Jinder has pretty much fallen back to his initial place with the company, picking up small victories over the likes of Chad Gable, but being mowed over by the likes of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Recently, he brought back his Man of Peace character.
The Modern Day Maharaja went from WWE Champion to a comedy act on Monday Nights in a year. That has got to be one of the worst years in wrestling that we've ever witnessed.
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