WWE Superstars Who Could Be the Future No. 1 Star of the Men's Division

Roman Reigns is definitively the top Superstar in WWE these days, achieving every accolade, holding both world titles and main-eventing several WrestleManias.

But he's not going to be at the top forever. Just like Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena before him, there will come a time when someone else has to step up and become the company's No. 1 male star.

Eyes are always on every potential Superstar to take the reins and become that franchise player. Some even make their careers off being viewed as in the running for that spot, such as Randy Orton or Drew McIntyre.

Looking at the current roster, who has what it takes to become the top star of the men's division in the years to come? Let's break down around a dozen of the possible candidates!

Austin Theory

Theory's entire character at the moment is quite literally revolving around the idea that he is that next top star. There's nothing subtle about it.

Thankfully, he's progressing in a way that shows there might be truth to that concept.

He can cross off a midcard title run from his list as a former United States champion, using that as a stepping stone toward Money in the Bank, which almost guarantees he will win a world title in the next year.

He's young, athletic, attractive, has a simple enough character that doesn't anchor him down by being too comedic or silly, doesn't seem to be injury-prone and can stand next to Cena and look like he belongs.

The more WWE books him to rub noses with Austin, Brock Lesnar, Vince McMahon and other upper-echelon names, the more the WWE Universe will accept Theory as a major player to come—even if he turns out to be more of the next Orton, rather than the next Cena.

Cody Rhodes

Much of the discussion surrounding the future of the company usually revolves around performers in their 20s who can hold down the fort for a decade or longer, but that doesn't mean someone's time is over once they reach 35.

Most of WWE's main event male talents are in that range or older. Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and more are in their 40s, for instance.

At age 37, Cody Rhodes is not someone WWE could expect will carry the company into 2050, but the question is "Who can be the future No. 1 star of the company?" and not "Who can headline the next 15 WrestleMania events?"

Rhodes has more value to his name now than ever before. If he weren't injured, he would likely be holding the Money in the Bank briefcase. That world title is well within his grasp, as he's being positioned as the best possible candidate to dethrone Roman Reigns whenever he returns.

Rhodes could ride that momentum for several years as the top star in WWE. There are plenty of fresh opponents for him to face, and his status as a veteran who can still go in the ring puts him in a unique spot where he can face someone like Edge for a classic, but also bring up a guy like Theory to a new level.

Don't be surprised if Rhodes is one of the go-to main event stars for at least a few years to come.

Bron Breakker

Above all others on NXT 2.0, Bron Breakker has been the most protected and highly positioned.

Already a two-time NXT champion, not a week goes by without someone talking about Breakker being a future world champion on the main roster. Even his opponents push that narrative, speaking about how they respect his talent and can see him going far.

It seems all across the board, WWE plans on Breakker being a major factor in the main event scene for years to come, especially since he's already this good at just 24 years old.

WWE puts much more emphasis on promos and appearance than in-ring skills, but Breakker can handle things in the ring in addition to being comfortable enough on the mic to not embarrass himself. Over time, he'll be able to hone that skill and become even better.

Once he drops the NXT Championship and graduates to Raw and SmackDown, don't be surprised if he's quickly given a United States or Intercontinental Championship and starts a steady incline toward the top.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams

When Carmelo Hayes shoots, he doesn't miss. He's already a two-time North American champion and one of the standouts in NXT with "future star" written all over him.

Hayes won the NXT Breakout Tournament very early in his tenure and hasn't slowed down since. In many ways, he's been booked as the star pupil of this youth movement. He was given the ball right out of the gate and ran with it without stumbling.

Hayes puts on some of the most consistent performances and has had the North American Championship revolving around him for months, frequently gets microphone time and has been protected rather well.

Don't count out his tag team partner, Trick Williams, either. He isn't at the same level yet, but it would be a mistake to overlook him.

Williams arguably surpasses Hayes in charisma and has an advantage in size, which can often be what stops wrestlers from reaching the top level. Road Dogg called attention to that WWE philosophy on After the Bell, telling Corey Graves that if Adam Cole were the size of Karrion Kross, he'd already be universal champion (h/t Robert DeFelice of WrestleZone).

Youth is also on their side, as Hayes is 27 and Williams is 28. They have more than enough time to grow, iron out the kinks and graduate NXT to become much bigger stars on the main roster.

Matt Riddle

In the past year, Riddle has proved he has more than enough staying power as a main event talent.

After two successful tag team title reigns and a run with the United States Championship, Riddle has progressed from a bit-player to one of the most featured Superstars on the main roster. He was a justifiable opponent for The Tribal Chief even when it seems those titles are going nowhere.

Key to his future is that Riddle has already managed to form an entertaining character while also presenting himself as a legitimate threat in the ring. Instead of running around as a laughing stock chasing the 24/7 Championship, fans accepted him as a goofy guy who can fight once the bell rings.

Being fun is part of his personality and enhances his performance rather than hinders it. That will go a long way in fans getting behind him as a world champion who can captivate them with a storyline and not just hinge his title reigns on defending the belt in the ring.

At 36, the clock is starting to tick on when he can reach that top level, but he'll more than likely be one of the main event Superstars to bank on in 2023, particularly if WWE puts him in a feud with Orton at WrestleMania. That can be what officially catapults him into the next level.

Riddle has an everyman quality to him and checks off all the other qualifications of having the looks, charisma and wrestling talent to be worth the investment.

Montez Ford

The Street Profits are an amazing tag team, but WWE just cannot help itself when it comes to splitting up pairs. The company seems to put people together with the sole intention to break them up down the line, as if that's the only thing interesting to do in the tag team division.

Lately, Kayla Braxton and others on the broadcast team keep alluding to issues between Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, despite how there hasn't been any sign of in-fighting. It is strange, but it seems to be setting up that they will go their separate ways.

When they do, Ford stands the better chance of breaking out and reaching new heights—something he's familiar with, considering how elevated he gets for his frog splash. Dawkins is no slouch himself, but all the buzz tends to surround Ford's potential to climb the ladder of success.

On After the Bell with Corey Graves, Dawkins addressed the chatter that he's always considered second-best (h/t Dakota Cohen of WrestlingInc) compared to Ford and praised his partner, saying he is "destined to become the world champion."

Ford is good-looking, athletic, charismatic and still young. In many ways, he checks off all the boxes of what WWE would look for in a marketable Superstar. He always puts on a great performance and never seems to phone it in, even if he's forced to hock a product in a commercial.

Being the husband of Raw women's champion Bianca Belair is an extra bonus, as they could make for a power couple akin to Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.

Josh Briggs

Josh Briggs may be the biggest unknown on this list, but his inclusion isn't without merit.

While he's accomplished the least so far, he's also had less time to rack up accolades, too, and is one-half of the current NXT UK tag team champions.

Briggs was turning heads prior to signing with NXT as the final Evolve champion, holding that belt from November 2019 until the company's end on July 2, 2020. In those two years, he's only gotten better.

Every week, he shows more of his personality. That, combined with his size (6'8") and youth (only 29 years old) is a recipe for success.

Briggs is very much the definition of "just getting started" and can easily be hot-shotted to the main roster in a few months without looking like a fish out of water.

Honorable Mentions

Rounding out this list are a few other Superstars who are worth talking about but don't have as clear of a road ahead of them to reach that top star status.

Some fans may think mentioning Logan Paul for this is blasphemous, but look at the facts. He's 27, already a popular celebrity, has a marketable look and seems interested in making a name for himself in wrestling. He could be a top heel for years to come.

WWE is desperate to make Gable Steveson the next big thing, promoting him as an up-and-coming game-changer for nearly a full year now. It is impossible to predict if that's a pipe dream, though, as he's done virtually nothing that can be judged.

Grayson Waller's cocky heel act puts him on the path to be another version of The Miz. If you watched him from his 205 Live days and compare it to his current performance, there has been a massive improvement, showing he can continue to reach new heights as time goes on.

Xyon Quinn is a former rugby player who is still trying to find himself, but he has shown some glimpses of stardom.

Madcap Moss has survived two big roster culls even when he was an injured NXT star who was just chasing the 24/7 Championship. He's also overcome being the laughing sidekick to Happy Corbin, which could have destroyed his career. Lately, fans have gotten more and more behind him as a singles act, and he's coming into his own as someone who physically looks like he could take anyone on the roster and give them a run for their money.

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Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, Spotify and everywhere you find podcasts. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.