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2019 has been a wild year for WWE in general.
The company took some bold risks with their main roster content. From an underdog like Kofi Kingston becoming the WWE Champion to "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt's rapid surge in popularity towards the latter half this year, both RAW and SmackDown featured feuds and programs for every type of WWE fan out there.
This brings us to the point of this article - Which male WWE Superstars made the biggest impact in 2019?
Just to be clear, NXT Superstars won't be included on this list. Wednesday Nights were recognized as a legitimate "third brand" by the company only in the last quarter of 2019. Because of that, NXT shows need to be judged separately as there is a huge difference in the type of content featured on RAW and SmackDown as compared to the Black & Gold brand.
So, with that out of the way, here are the Top 10 Male WWE Superstars of 2019:
#10: Randy Orton
Over the years, Randy Orton has just been one of those WWE veterans who are always around on the main roster.
Orton's presence was felt throughout the entire year. Some of his best highlights included facing-off against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 35, and a memorable RKO to Nia Jax at Royal Rumble.
The Viper re-ignited his feud with Kofi Kingston (who was WWE Champion at the time) around SummerSlam. He was also a part of Team Flair during a memorable match at Crown Jewel.
Orton might be a babyface right now, but it looks like "RKOs Outta Nowhere" is going to be a frequent staple on RAW as we head into 2020.
#9: Roman Reigns
On February 25, 2019, Roman Reigns made his return to WWE, revealing that his leukaemia is once again in remission.
He has had feuds with Shane McMahon, King Corbin, as Erick Rowan, who turned out to be Roman Reigns' mysterious attacker in an equally mysterious angle.
The most impressive thing about Reigns is that he has perfectly adopted WWE's style of wrestling. Fans remain interactive during his bouts, which is something that even several big indie names couldn't achieve upon making a transition to WWE.
On top of that, Roman Reigns is finally the babyface that Vince McMahon wanted him to be.
After his return in February, Reigns has truly cemented himself as one of the most defining superstars of this decade.
#8: King Corbin
Nowadays, it is quite rare to find heel characters that manage to trigger the fans without them even knowing about it.
After a terrible 2018, Corbin built himself up to find a comfort zone on the main roster. Fortunately, "King Corbin" was the perfect gimmick for him.
After winning the 2019 King of the Ring Tournament, Corbin dubbed himself a "King". His annoying presence attracted loud boos in every arena, which describes his job description pretty well.
Corbin's new gimmick has become a staple on the main roster now. The fact that he got involved with The Rock and Roman Reigns in separate instances during the same year shows us how much the higher-ups have faith in him as an annoying heel.
But King Corbin's renaissance began way before he was even dubbed as "King". It began when Baron Corbin triggered the masses by successfully pinning Kurt Angle during the latter's farewell match at WrestleMania 35.
#7: Kevin Owens
From feuding with Kofi Kingston as a heel to becoming a "voice" of the fans during his rivalry against Shane McMahon, Owens has had quite a diverse year in general.
Perhaps what solidifies his position on this list even further is that he has ended this year on a high note.
The Prize Fighter's relatively new feud with a heel Seth Rollins has made him one of the most popular babyfaces on Monday Night RAW.
By looking back this year, you can see how the "Kevin Owens" character has been on an upward trajectory during every month.
Let's hope that his momentum carries on to 2020 as well.
Also, don't ever forget that Shane McMahon's mind-numbing regime washed out this year, thanks to Kevin Owens.
#6: AJ Styles
AJ Styles has carved a nice little spot for himself on Monday Night RAW after facing Randy Orton at this year's WrestleMania.
Styles wrestled former Universal Champion Seth Rollins at Money In The Bank, but he only gained a new purpose after returning from his injuries in June.
The Phenomenal One eventually turned heel in a hot program with Ricochet. Styles joined forces with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to form The O.C., and the faction has been shaking up things on RAW ever since.
He was also the United States Champion for 134 days. That reign ended in November, but as fate would have it, Styles would end up feuding with his WrestleMania 35 opponent (Orton) during the last month of the year too.
#5: Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar entered into 2019 as the WWE Universal Champion. The Beast Incarnate will also end this year as your WWE Champion.
No matter what happens on the show, Lesnar's appearances always attract attention.
First and foremost, the Beast put over Seth Rollins when the latter had the opportunity of beating him more than once - that, too, on huge Pay-Per-Views like WrestleMania and SummerSlam.
Lesnar also had an intriguing program with the Money In The Bank Briefcase, where he kept everyone guessing as to whether he was going to aim for Seth Rollins (Universal Champion) or Kofi Kingston (Former WWE Champion).
Ironically, despite cashing in on The Beast Slayer, Lesnar did eventually embarrass Kofi Kingston by pinning him for the WWE Title under 10 seconds on SmackDown.
Lesnar's enjoyable angle with Rey Mysterio eventually made fans less upset about the entire Kofi-Brock fiasco. But people never forget, and even if you don't like him, that still doesn't change the fact that he is WWE Champion right now.
#4: Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan was the definitive WWE Champion throughout the Road to WrestleMania 35. As the "NEW" Daniel Bryan, the character's eco-friendly traits were completely opposed to his Grinch-like personality.
As Daniel Bryan made people hate him, the Planet's Champion also put over one of the most underrated veterans in WWE - Kofi Kingston - at this year's WrestleMania.
Without Bryan, Kofi's defining reign as the WWE Champion wouldn't even have been possible!
He also became a Tag Team Champion alongside Erick Rowan, and their partnership eventually ended when Rowan was revealed to be Roman Reigns' mysterious attacker in a very intriguing program.
This also brought about Daniel Bryan's gradual face turn.
But what truly led to the "YES" Movement's return was an even bigger opposition than the Authority.
It was "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt who put Daniel Bryan through hell, and by doing so, Wyatt indirectly brought out the best in his opponent. Now, Bryan is back to being one of the most popular babyfaces that WWE has ever seen.
Daniel Bryan is a perfect example of how a wrestler's personality can make a complete, successful U-Turn at any given instance.
#3: Kofi Kingston
It is impossible to make a list like this without featuring this year's definitive WWE Champion, who just so happens to be Kofi Kingston.
Nobody would have thought that Kofi would go on to become a WWE Champion at the start of 2019. But it happened at the Grandest Stage of them All, WrestleMania 35.
Since then, the Dreadlocked Dynamo faced credible opponents such as Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, among others.
Sadly, all of it came to an end when Brock Lesnar was pushed to win the title from Kofi under 10 seconds despite the latter's undeniable efforts throughout the year.
But the Power of Positivity is a huge part of New Day's schtick, and therefore, Kofi didn't let the loss bring him down.
Kofi & Big E defeated The Revival to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship in November, and it looks like Kofi might very well end this year as a champion too.
Kofi Kingston finally got his moment and decided to make the best out of it, and that is why he is one of the Top 3 Male WWE Superstars of 2019.
#2: Seth Rollins
Whether you like him or hate him, you can't deny the fact that Seth Rollins' work ethic is what got him to the top of this business.
He started this year with a bang after winning the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match.
The higher-ups have a lot of faith in Rollins and that is reflected in his onscreen portrayal as well.
The man got to defeat Brock Lesnar on two huge events on two separate occasions. He also teamed up with "The Man", Becky Lynch, his real and reel life partner.
Rollins also became a double champ this year, and the company turned him heel at the perfect moment during the latter half of 2019. Seth Rollins is currently embroiled in one of the hottest feuds on RAW involving Kevin Owens, which might define the show as we head into 2020.
If it weren't for some blunders in his onscreen booking, Rollins would have undoubtedly been #1 on this list. Interestingly, Rollins lost his Universal Championship to our next and final pick for the best male superstar of 2019.
#1: Bray Wyatt
In April 2019, ominous vignettes began airing across WWE programming depicting a buzzard puppet, a witch doll, among various other puppets.
Little did we know that this tease would result in one of the most complex, and mind-boggling gimmicks in the history of the Professional Wrestling business.
"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt has transcended the limits under which a modern WWE Superstar usually operates.
The original set of Firefly Fun House episodes were a perfect setup for The Fiend's eventual arrival to WWE's gates. Sure, WWE also invested a lot into production and set-pieces upon witnessing the popularity of Wyatt's gimmick, and everything fit together perfectly onscreen.
Interestingly, The Fiend also changes the course of superstars whom he feuds with along the way. There was a point where people thought that WWE made a major blunder with Wyatt's new gimmick, and its no secret that moment was Hell In A Cell 2019.
But what solidifies his position on this list even further is that Wyatt's momentum suffered little to no damage after HIAC 2019. It did, however, affect Seth Rollins in a way where he had to turn heel. The reason behind why the same didn't happen for Wyatt is that the character has already been built up to a very complex level in a matter of few months, so much so, that people won't turn on him just after one incident.
Also, his booking has been amazing for the most part. Wyatt has had a lot of creative control this time around, and that clearly reflects on television as well.
From a macroscopic point of view, it seems like Wyatt's best is still yet to come. Bray Wyatt's current feud with Daniel Bryan might just be his best in years.
It will be enthralling to see how "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt fares on the Road to WrestleMania 36 next year.
