WWE: The Top 5 Champions of 2020
By Mark Justice
![Sasha Banks, Bayley, WWE SmackDown (photo courtesy of WWE) Sasha Banks, Bayley, WWE SmackDown (photo courtesy of WWE)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/e521d6a2955fe96b3a0efe8dea5ec6f0544fe1cfee3979f5717b810c9a0472eb.jpg)
The WWE had some good champions and bad champions. The following will focus on the positive with the top five champions of 2020.
The WWE is not only tasked with crowning champions who are deserving of a title reign but also facilitating pathways for their title reigns that lead to a fruitful exposure of their character developments and a deeper connection with the WWE fanbase. It is the champion’s responsibility to present exemplary in-ring work and promo work each and every week in order to accomplish that exposure of one’s character and enhance one’s connection with the WWE fanbase.
However, a champion’s title reign is not only about the champion. It is also about the champion’s challengers and the rest of the division. A good champion must also be willing to change things up to keep things fresh and interesting while elevating the division the best way one can so that almost everyone in that division feels credible and essential to the division. As Paul Heyman always says, “a champion is only as great as the challengers one puts down.”
A champion who draws in money to the WWE is also vital. Box office attractions and megastars are rare in today’s WWE, but there were still five champions who had that potential. The following criteria will be utilized to substantiate those top 5 champions of the WWE: (1) In-Ring Work, (2) Promo Work, (3) Fresh Entertainment, (4) Division Elevation, (5) Box Office Attraction. Without further ado, the following will identity and explain the top 5 champions of 2020 in the WWE.
5.) Street Profits
On the March 2, 2020 episode of WWE Raw, Street Profits dethroned Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy to become the Raw Tag Team Champions. For most of that reign, the Profits played Olympic Games with Viking Raiders and defended their championships against Andrade and Angel Garza five times or more from March all the way to October. Despite the repetitive booking, Street Profits found ways to make each bout different while delivering in their title matches.
On the October 12, 2020 episode of WWE Raw, Street Profits swapped the Raw Tag Titles with The New Day’s SmackDown Tag Titles to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions. They went on to defeat The New Day at Survivor Series, thereby solidifying themselves as the best tag team in the WWE. Street Profits are now feuding with Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, and they are on the verge of becoming the Slammy’s Tag Team Of The Year.
Their victory over The New Day has definitely given them more credibility. Their likable characters as babyfaces have helped them connect with the WWE fanbase. Their Skittles commercials with Ric Flair have exemplified their marketability. As for elevating the division, that is their weakest point because there is not that much of a tag team division to elevate in the first place. However, their exemplary in-ring work and humorous, entertaining promos make up for that.
As a whole, Street Profits have been top-tier tag champions who are worthy of being in the same conservation with the likes of The New Day and The Usos in the WWE. They are future ballot Hall of Famers in their own right and deserve to be multi-time tag team champions for years to come. They have held the tag team championships for nine months now, and it has been well-deserved as they leave an ounce of hope for the future of the overlooked tag team division.
In-Ring Work: 4.5/5.0 Stars (A-)
Promo Work: 4.0/5.0 Stars (B+)
Fresh Entertainment: 4.0/5.0 Stars (B+)
Division Elevation: 3.5/5.0 Stars (B-)
Box Office Attraction: 5.0/5.0 Stars (A+)