His return has gotten him a lot of buzz compared to where he was before, and it would be interesting to see where he ranks at the end of the year.
When Bryan's feud with The Miz begins, probably later this summer, I expect to see his stock rise, though the competition is stiff, as we'll soon see. Bryan might not be able to enter the top five.
#9 Jeff Hardy
title History
NDW Light Heavyweight title;
NCW (National Championship Wrestling) Light Heavyweight title defeating Kid Dynamo (July 24, 1997);
OMEGA New Frontiers title (August 2, 1997);
NWA 2000 Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy Awarded (March 7, 1998);
UWA (Universal Wrestling Association) World Middleweight title defeating Ikuto Hidaka for vacant title (June 14, 1998);
OMEGA Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy defeating Mike Maverick and Shane Helms (July 24, 1998);
WWF World Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy defeating Bradshaw and Farooq (June 29, 1999);
WWF World Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy defeating Christian and Edge (September 24, 2000);
WWF World Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy defeating Christian and Edge (October 23, 2000);
WWF World Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy defeating D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley (March 5, 2001);
WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title defeating Triple H (April 10, 2001);
WWF World Light Heavyweight title defeating Jerry Lynn (June 5, 2001);
WWF Hardcore title defeating Mike Awesome (July 10, 2001);
WWF Hardcore title defeating Rob Van Dam (August 13, 2001);
WCW World Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy defeating Test and Booker T. (October 8, 2001);
WWF World Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy defeating Test and Booker T. (November 12, 2001);
WWE European Heavyweight title defeating William Regal (July 8, 2002);
WWE Hardcore title defeating Bradshaw (July 29, 2002);
WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Nitro (October 2, 2006);
WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Nitro (November 13, 2006);
WWE (Raw) World Tag Team titles w/Matt Hardy won a 10 team Battle Royal (April 2, 2007);
WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight title defeating Umaga (September 3, 2007);
WWE Heavyweight title defeating Edge (c) and Triple H in a 3-WAY (December 14, 2008);
(WWE) World Heavyweight title defeating Edge in a Ladder Match (June 7, 2009);
(WWE) World Heavyweight title defeating C.M. Punk (July 26, 2009);
TNA (Total Nonstop Action) World Heavyweight title defeating Kurt Angle and Mr. Anderson (October 10, 2010);
TNA (Total Nonstop Action) World Heavyweight title defeating Mr. Anderson (February 13, 2011);
TNA (Total Nonstop Action) World Heavyweight title defeating Austin Aries (October 14, 2012);
OMEGA heavyweight title winning a 6-way elimination match (February 28, 2015);
HOG tag team titles w Matt Hardy defeating Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen (August 19, 2016);
TNA World Tag Team Titles w Matt Hardy defeating Crazzy Steve & Abyss (October 2, 2016);
Wrestling Superstar tag team titles w Matt Hardy winning a 3-way tag team match (December 11, 2016);
The Crash tag team titles w Matt Hardy defeating Juventud Guerrera & Super Crazy (January 21, 2017);
MCW tag team titles w Matt Hardy defeated Dirty Money and Eric Chapel (January 28, 2017);
ROH World tag team titles w Matt Hardy defeating The Young Bucks (March 4, 2017);
WWE RAW tag team titles w Matt Hardy winning a 4-way tag team ladder match (April 2, 2017);
WWE United States title defeating Jinder Mahal (April 16, 2018);
WWE SmackDown Live tag team titles w Matt Hardy defeated The Usos (April 9, 2019);
#8 Shinsuke Nakamura
Many of those stars have struggled to find their footing on their new homes, such as The Revival, which was bit by the injury bug on more than occasion last year. Others, like Hideo Itami and The Riott Squad, haven't been around that long, so it's somewhat difficult to truly understand how they're catching on with WWE's mainstream audience. One way to judge their popularity? Google, which gives a solid indication of how much interest a star may be generating.
For 2016, we used Google standard search and Google Shopping search data to determine which stars who made their debut during that calendar year were generating the most interest. While names like Alexa Bliss and James Ellsworth proved to be shockingly popular, two of the best in-ring performers in WWE perhaps not-so-surprisingly topped the list, with AJ Styles and Finn Balor coming in at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.
So, what about the stars who made their debuts in 2017? Let's take a look.
Here's how it will work: Any eligible superstar must have made his/her main roster debut in 2017. Standard Google search data average scores will be added to average Google scores in the "Shopping" category to determine each superstar's total popularity score. Please note that total popularity scores for numbers 6-12 are in parentheses.
#7 Dean Ambrose and Finn Balor (tie)
Dean Ambrose is on the injury shelf. Finn Balor has meandered for over a year. That hasn't dented their popularity though, and they're tied in Google trends.
Their ongoing popularity is a testament to their staying power. Despite the injuries and bad booking, they've remained steady for over a year. That should warrant a big push for both of them in the future, but it's unknown if the company will give the fans what they're searching for.
Dean Ambrose will probably pull away soon, as his return is sure to generate a lot of buzz.
#6 Seth Rollins
Where will he go from here?
The Kingslayer has had a blistering 2018. Where he goes from here is still an open question. Will he cool off or will rivalries with Jason Jordan and especially Ambrose pull him further ahead of the pack? Or might he bound to even greater heights once the Brock Lesnar mess is over with?
Whatever happens with him, Seth Rollins is close to bulletproof. He's maintained his popularity for a long time, and his push this year is a case study in the company finally capitalizing on a hot trend.
#5 The Miz
He truly is must-see!
The Miz is arguably WWE's most well-rounded performer. He excels at all aspects of the business. His ring work has greatly improved over the years. He's one of the best talkers in the company. He has charisma that makes him naturally come across as a jerk. He can wake up even the sleepiest crowds.
Fans have noticed this, and his popularity has remained steady. It might shoot up still higher, depending on where his coming feud with Daniel Bryan takes him, but the competition on the charts will get stiffer.
#4 AJ Styles
AJ Styles' main roster run has truly been phenomenal. Though his second reign as WWE Champion has fallen far short of the standards set by his first, he's remained as popular as ever. He's as close to bulletproof as it gets.
As good as AJ is, he's also probably reached his ceiling. It's a high one, but a new feud probably won't gain him any more ground. Hopefully he can use his popularity to make others look great. A feud with Samoa Joe would be just what the doctor ordered.
#3 Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman is one of the biggest WWE success stories this decade. In only a year, he's shot nearly to the top of the popularity list. People are searching for his merchandise in great volume. He gets thunderous reactions every week. Most frightening of all, he's nowhere close to his ceiling yet.
His victory at Money in the Bank was a career game-changer. A run with the Universal Championship is now inevitable, and hopefully imminent. If he's this popular now, imagine how far he'll go when he carries the red brand every week with the strap over one of his massive shoulders
#2 Randy Orton
Randy Orton hasn't been seen in a few months (he's recovering from injuries) and his performances over the past year or so are far from inspired, but with over a decade of success behind him, it shouldn't be a surprise that he ranks this high.
He'll return sooner rather than later, and it would be nice to see him elevate Andrade "Cien" Almas when he does. Elevating newer talent is what made men like him should eventually do, and Almas could certainly use a rub.
#1 Roman Reigns
Surprising?
Roman Reigns is one of the most unusual superstars in WWE history.
He gets thunderous boos anywhere he goes. Fans have become disconnected to his pay per view matches to the extent that some have begun walking out. And yet, he still currently gets far more worldwide search volume for his merchandise than any other full-time superstar, or even part-time for that matter. He's far short of John Cena, but well ahead of even the likes of The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar.
Perhaps the disconnect comes from an American versus a worldwide audience, or maybe it's something else entirely.
Whatever the case, WWE has built a superstar that captures a lot of attention, and persuasion science tells us that attention is important, no matter if it's good or bad. If that was the goal, WWE has made Roman Reigns a success
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