WWE’s Top Five Most Shocking Moments of 2025

World Wrestling Entertainment in 2025 was many things: it was unpredictable, controversial occasionally brilliant and often truly baffling. If the company’s goal was to dominate headlines and keep fans talking, then mission accomplished. This was a year where creative decisions sparked outrage, business moves exposed WWE’s true priorities and real-life events reminded fans that wrestling is, at its core, deeply personal.

From sudden title changes to corporate announcements to the sudden loss of a global icon, here are the five most shocking WWE moments of 2025.

FIVE: Jey Uso Wins the Royal Rumble; Makes Gunther Tap

Few things in modern WWE feel as sacred as Gunther’s aura. Since arriving on the main roster, 'The Ring General' had been presented as an untouchable force: a throwback champion whose dominance felt earned and legitimate. That’s why Jey Uso’s Royal Rumble victory raised eyebrows. The idea of the multiple-time WWE tag team champion turned Yeet machine challenging Gunther for his World Championship, let alone defeating him for the gold, stretched the suspension of belief to a whole new level.

Then came WrestleMania 41.

In the most shocking finish from the entire weekend, Jey Uso didn’t just beat Gunther. He made him tap out to his own hold. For the first time in years, Gunther looked vulnerable, and WWE crowned Jey Uso as World Heavyweight Champion on the grandest stage of them all.

And then, almost immediately, the company hit the reset button.

Jey’s title reign lasted for a paltry 51 days before he dropped the championship straight back to Gunther, on an episode of Raw, no less. There were few defining defences and there was no oportunity for a payoff: for Uso to prove to doubters that he was more than just a catchphrase. The decision left many fans feeling confused and frustrated, turning what could have been a star-making moment into a head-scratching footnote. In hindsight, the shock wasn’t just the win: it was how little it ended up meaning in the long run.

FOUR: Brock Lesnar Returns To WWE At SummerSlam

When Brock Lesnar’s music hit at the end of SummerSlam, the reaction was a mix of cheers, boos and disbelief. Lesnar had been absent from WWE for nearly two years following his association with the Janel Grant and Vince McMahon scandal, and many believed, and perhaps hoped, his time with the company was quietly over.

WWE, however, had other ideas.

In typical fashion, Lesnar’s return ignored public sentiment entirely. One month later, he dismantled John Cena at Wrestlepalooza in a one-sided clash that reminded everyone exactly where 'The Beast' stood on the company’s hierarchy. From that point on, Brock Lesnar was presented as a monster once again, running roughshod over the roster and positioning himself as a dominant force heading into 2026.

The shock wasn’t just that Lesnar returned: it was how emphatically WWE doubled down on him. Love it or hate it, the message was clear: controversy fades, star power sells, and Brock Lesnar still equals money. READ NOW: Features Of Wrestling | The Big Wrestling Year In Review 2025: WWE, AEW & More

THREE: WrestleMania Heads to Riyadh

In September 2025, Triple H made an announcement that fundamentally altered WWE history: WrestleMania 43 would take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in April 2027. The reported $250 million deal to bring the 'Grandaddy of Them All' to Riyadh Season confirmed what many fans have known to be true ever since TKO Group took the reigns: WWE’s biggest decisions are now driven by global expansion and financial power above all else.

The internet erupted. Fans vowed to boycott WWE. Many critics questioned the ethics and sportswashing at play. Many insisted WrestleMania without a traditional Western crowd would fall flat.

Then Royal Rumble 2026 tickets in Riyadh sold in record numbers.

Suddenly, the outrage seemed pointless. WWE once again proved that online backlash rarely translates into real-world consequences. SaudiMania may be divisive, but all signs point to it being the most lucrative WrestleMania in history and that, in WWE’s eyes, makes it a huge success before a single match is announced.

TWO: John Cena’s Heel Turn That Went Nowhere

When John Cena turned heel on Cody Rhodes at Elimination Chamber in February, it felt like we were witnessing wrestling history in real time. WWE’s ultimate good guy, the face of the company for two decades, had finally snapped. He had sold his soul to the dark side, The Final Boss.

The moment was perfect. The shock was genuine. And the creative possibilities from there were endless.

And then it all collapsed.

Behind-the-scenes uncertainty, The Rock seemingly losing interest, Travis Scott’s disastrous involvement, and reports of Cena himself lacking full commitment caused the entire storyline to derail before it really gained much in the way of traction. What should have been a defining WrestleMania feud fizzled out and one of the biggest character turns in wrestling history was quietly abandoned without any real payoff or explanation.

By SummerSlam, Cena was back to being a babyface again. By the end of the year, he was more popular than he'd ever been, which perhaps was the plan all along. Cena's failed heel turn joined an infamous list alongside Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bill Goldberg: proof that even the biggest ideas can fail if WWE doesn’t fully commit.

ONE: The Death of An Immortal Superstar

No wrestling character, storyline or show came close to the shock of the news announcement made on July 24, 2025, when it was reported that Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, had suddenly died aged just 71.

This was real life and as real as life could get. Hogan was wrestling’s most recognisable figure, a global icon whose influence stretched far beyond the ring. For many fans and wrestlers alike, Hulkamania wasn’t just a gimmick: it was the reason they fell in love with wrestling in the first place.

The reaction was complicated, emotional, and deeply human. Fans grappled with nostalgia for the character and mixed feelings about the man behind it. The timing only added to the heartbreak: less than eight months earlier, Hogan’s final WWE appearance ended with him being booed out of LA's Staples Center while promoting Real American Beer at Raw’s Netflix debut.

After his passing, Raw, SmackDown, and NXT all opened with a ten-bell salute to The Hulkster, paying tribute to the larger-than-life performer who paved the way for so many. Love him or hate him, Hulk Hogan’s impact on professional wrestling is unmatched and his death was the most shocking WWE moment of 2025 by a mile.

2025 proved that WWE can still shock, for better or worse. Whether through creative chaos, corporate power plays, or moments that transcend wrestling entirely, this was a year that will be debated and no doubt dissected by fans for decades to come.

REAL TALK FROM REAL TALENT

Wrestling Life with Ben Veal shines the spotlight brightly and positively on those who shaped wrestling's past, drive its present and influence its future. Widely available, the show features honest, open and inspiring conversations with many of the sport's biggest names, including Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Lilian Garcia, Candice Michelle, Buff Bagwell, Doug Williams, Eric Bischoff and many more. The show is presented by award-winning journalist and content creator Ben Veal, co-author of Marc Mero's autobiography, Badd To Good: The Inspiring Story of a Wrestling Wildman.

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