WWE legend Rikishi has named two stars who had breakout years in the pro wrestling business in 2025.
In a recent edition of his "Rikishi Fatu Off The Top" podcast, the veteran star first named Bron Breakker as someone who had a standout year in 2025, and also praised WWE for persisting with the push they're giving him.
"I'd have to say Bron Breakker, man," he declared. "We have kind of seen the growth of this kid here, man. First coming through and then, you know, just how they continue to, I guess,I want to say how they continue to trust him. I think that, you know, the WWE is doing a good job by going with this cat here, man. He's a young dude, he's strong, you can tell he gets it. He's starting to feel comfortable on his promos out there."
The second star Rikishi named as having a breakout year in 2025 was Gunther, who held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship entering the year and won it once again later in 2025. He believes that the Austrian star's old-school heel persona and in-ring ability will hold him in good stead for a long time.
"I'd have to say Gunther as well, man. You've got two heels, right? You've got Bron Breakker, and then you've got Gunther. But Gunther just has a different type of heat. He's got that old-school kind of heat, the foreigner-type heat, that Iron Sheik, Boris Zhukov kind of vibe. There's nothing gimmicky about him to me plain trunks, plain black boots, a regular black robe, and he just comes out there, whoops your ass, and makes people hate him. That tells me he's the kind of guy who can operate at the main event level and hold it down for a while," he added.
The WWE Hall of Famer also named several others whom he feels had breakout years, including Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, and Stephanie Vaquer on the women's side. He foresees great things for Vaquer, explaining that WWE has yet to extract her full potential.
