Young WWE and AEW Wrestlers Trending Towards Becoming Bigger Stars

With WrestleMania 39 in the rearview mirror, fans have turned their attention to the future and some of the younger performers in both WWE and All Elite Wrestling who are poised for a breakout year.

While the wrestling industry is different from other sports in that older performers can stick around longer because of the ability to protect themselves, the business is still built on the future cornerstones of each brand.

Here are the fresh-faced WWE and AEW wrestlers trending upward in 2023 who fans should watch.

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Daniel Garcia

Many fans would argue that AEW does a better job showcasing and pushing younger talents on its programming every week than WWE, and one of the best examples of that dedication is Daniel Garcia.

At just 24 years old, he has already seen his fair share of elite in-work and promos with the top stars in the business. By aligning himself with Chris Jericho and his stable, he is studying under one of the greatest legends the sport has seen.

Garcia has found himself in marquee matches throughout his run with AEW, including bouts against the likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Adam Cole and Ricky Starks, and the company is trusting him more and more with each passing day. He has played valuable roles in several of Jericho's recent feuds and helped carry Dynamite and Rampage in the ring every chance he gets.

With the support of Tony Khan and the AEW creative team, and the fans getting more and more excited about supporting an eventual face turn, the talented young performer should remain near the top of the card for the rest of 2023 and beyond.

Wrestling fans will start to view Garcia in the same class as MJF, Darby Allin, Jungle Boy and Sammy Guevara.

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Anna Jay

While relatively unknown before her time in AEW, Anna Jay has blossomed into one of the brightest young stars in its women's division.

From a previous allegiance to Brodie Lee to her recent heel work with the Jericho Appreciation Society, she has already shown great range in her short career.

Jay will be 25 in July, and 2023 looks to be her breakout year, as a full-blown heel turn has allowed her to showcase her mic skills and in-ring ability, which could be strong assets moving into the future.

Khan and company have an obvious trust with Jay, as she is putting on marquee matches against the likes of Julia Hart, Britt Baker, Ruby Soho and Toni Storm.

With plenty of room to build on her already strong resume and the work ethic needed to overcome some of her shortcomings, AEW should be strapping a rocket to her back for a monster push over the next year.

Add a new tagline that will surely be remembered for a long time, and there is little doubt Jay will continue to develop into a foundational piece of the women's division.

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Tyler Bate

While AEW unquestionably has the larger group of bright stars, WWE may have the most talented young performer in the world, but it remains to be seen if it uses Tyler Bate properly moving forward.

The former NXT United Kingdom titleholder has all the tools needed to be a world champion on the main roster, but he needs the support of WWE Creative to reach his full potential.

Bate turned 26 in March and is already an industry veteran. With so much experience, coupled with an engaging presence that is undisputable, he is one of the brighter young talents on the roster.

The problem has been booking and character development. Instead of giving the fresh face all the momentum in the world to build on his raw potential, he has been stifled and forgotten for months. Instead of letting him wallow, he should be one of the faces of NXT before jumping to Raw or SmackDown.

From his freakish strength to his elite in-ring ability to his good looks, Bate is the total package. His ability to get over with crowds is undeniable, but WWE still needs to put him in a position to succeed. This year, it needs to understand his value and push him to the top of the card.

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