MJF and 15 Stars Under 30 Who Will Shape AEW for the Next Decade

Pro wrestling must evolve and change with the times, and as that happens, new stars emerge to carry the business into the next era.

Today's adult fans grew up watching their favorites do battle, but as we have gotten older, fewer of the stars we loved are around. Sting, Dustin Rhodes, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Christian and The Hardys are some of the last remaining names from the previous millennium who are still wrestling for a major promotion.

Even the generation that came after them is readying to retire. John Cena, Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar are all closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.

Pro wrestling is a revolving door of talent. Every decade or so, there is a changing of the guard when a new set of stars take the reins.

Right now, All Elite Wrestling has a wealth of talent who are all under the age of 30 and could help shape the company's future for the next decade.

Honorable Mentions

Before we get into the main list, here are a few honorable mentions.

Riho: The former AEW women's champion hasn't been on TV much this year, but every time she shows up, the fans go wild. The 26-year-old has a bright future regardless of which promotion she calls home.

Lee Moriarty: He hasn't gotten a lot of chances to talk on the mic, but whenever the 29-year-old steps into the ring, you know you are guaranteed to get a great match with a lot of technical proficiency.

Julia Hart: The House of Black recruiting Hart might have been the best possible thing for everyone involved. The 21-year-old has taken to this character and made it her own. Without her, the group wouldn't be anywhere near as interesting as it is right now.

Nick Wayne and Billie Starkz: Starkz (18) and Wayne (17) have both earned themselves AEW contracts before they even graduated high school. We could well be looking at the next big stars in professional wrestling if they continue to grow as quickly as they have been since they started their training.

Kyle Fletcher

Aussie Open have been making waves as a tag team, but ever since Mark Davis went down with an injury, Kyle Fletcher has been given the opportunity to work more in singles competition.

The 24-year-old has quickly established himself as a natural in the ring and one of the brightest young prospects in the business. If he is this good now, imagine how good he will be in five years' time.

The former IWGP tag team champion still has allies in United Empire if and when he is needed in the tag team division, but for now, it's going to be fun to see what he can accomplish on his own.

Leyla Hirsch

AEW has a large roster of women with a lot of unique personalities and gimmicks, but one who stands out purely for her physical ability is Leyla Hirsch.

In many ways. the 26-year-old is a lot like Taz. They are both shorter than most of their opponents, but what they lack in height they more than make up for with power and skill.

If someone is capable of throwing you across a room, you're a lot less likely to make a short joke about them.

When Hirsch returns from the injury she sustained last year, let's hope AEW picks up where it left off and pushes her as a threat to anyone walking around with a title.

'Jungle Boy' Jack Perry

As one of the four pillars and one of AEW's homegrown talents, Jack Perry has already cemented himself as one of the company's rising stars.

The 26-year-old openly talks about how his promos need work, but there is no denying the in-ring talent he possesses. He has put on multiple show-stealing performances, including the recent Double or Nothing Fatal 4-Way match for the world title.

Perry has the Hollywood looks passed down from his father, a great foundation to continue building his skills and the love of the crowd. If he eventually turns heel, it might be exactly what he needs to figure out his on-screen personality.

Kris Statlander

Kris Statlander has fought through two ACL injuries and now finds herself holding the TBS Championship after handing the previously undefeated Jade Cargill her first loss at Double or Nothing.

The alien enthusiast has a special connection with the crowd that cannot be forced. Whether it's a child or a 50-year-old watching in the crowd, it's hard not to cheer for the 27-year-old.

The most important thing that needs to happen now is for AEW to capitalize on her momentum. You can't just have someone beat your star with the longest winning streak in the company without following up on it.

Sammy Guevara

Sammy Guevara is another of the four pillars of AEW who has earned his spot on the roster by being one of the most unlikable heels and one of the most talented high-flyers at the same time.

The Spanish God, 29, appears to be working toward a babyface turn that will hopefully work out better than the last attempt, but it makes sense to turn him now after the announcement of Tay Melo's pregnancy and the positive reactions he has been getting while interacting with the other pillars.

If Guevara stays with AEW, there is no doubt he will win the world title at some point. Whether he does it as a good guy or a villain is what remains to be seen.

Anna Jay

Anna Jay made her first televised appearance for AEW when she was just 21 years old in 2020. Fast-forward to three years later, and she has been on quite the ride.

Her time with The Dark Order allowed the 24-year-old to learn from veterans such as the late Brodie Lee while also honing her craft alongside other young talents.

Being recruited into the Jericho Appreciation Society helped her reach the next level in her career and embrace her dark side.

Jay has the look, drive and physical ability to have a long and fruitful career. If she can remain healthy and keep improving, she could end up being the person who takes the TBS title from Statlander when it's time for her reign to end.

Top Flight

Dante and Darius Martin have had a tough run in AEW as a tag team due to injuries, but when they are together and operating at 100 percent, there are few teams that are more exciting to watch.

They were starting to build some momentum in Ring of Honor before Dante, 22, was injured, so it's tough to say what will happen when he eventually returns. They could remain in ROH or go back to focusing solely on AEW.

Regardless of where they end up, Top Flight are going to add a lot to the tag team division when they are both back to full fitness. Let's hope Dante and Darius, who is 23, can both stay healthy so they can have long and successful careers.

Skye Blue

Skye Blue is one of the youngest stars on the AEW roster at just 23 years old, but she has already built up a strong fanbase that will continue to expand as the company gives her more opportunities.

For a long time, Blue was an AEW Dark regular, usually losing matches to people higher on the card. Over the last several months, though, company management has started to give her more time and wins on television.

She has had title matches in both ROH and AEW in recent weeks, and while she may have come up short, putting on great performances is going to keep her in regular rotation until it's her time to shine.

Blue is probably past the setting people on fire phase she discussed with RJ City on Hey EW, so her opponents shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Daniel Garcia

When it comes to pure technical ability, there aren't many on the AEW roster who can come close to Daniel Garcia.

The former ROH pure champion has not only proved he can work a great match against just about anyone, but he has also grown as a character ever since he joined the JAS.

Seeing Garcia grow as a performer has been a lot of fun, and it stands to reason that he will continue to hone his craft as time goes on.

If he is this good already, he is going to end up being considered one of the best technicians in the world by the time he hangs his boots up for good.

Willow Nightingale

Some wrestlers have an innate ability to make you like them. Willow Nightingale is one of those.

Everything in her presentation is designed to make her one of the most joyous people in the ring. Her music is upbeat, she always has a huge smile on her face, and her excitement comes across as genuine, not manufactured.

The 29-year-old might seem like a big ball of happiness, but once she steps through the ropes, her opponents need to tread carefully or risk getting Pounced right out of it again.

Nightingale has so many qualities that will make her a valuable asset for years to come. If she ever turns heel, it's going to break so many hearts.

Wheeler Yuta

Wheeler Yuta was a standout young talent when he joined AEW, but ever since he linked up with the Blackpool Combat Club, he has been a major player in both AEW and ROH.

The former pure champion, 26, has added viciousness to his impressive arsenal of abilities, making him almost as dangerous as any of his mentors.

Yuta is a likable guy who can work effectively as a heel or babyface. If he stays on the path he is on right now, there is no telling what the 26-year-old can accomplish in his career.

Toni Storm

Toni Storm is only 27 years old and already a two-time AEW women's world champion. There are few people on the roster under 30 with the kind of resume she has built up.

In fact, there are a lot of people in AEW over the age of 30 who don't have her list of accomplishments. For someone so young, she has already done so much and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Her alliance with Ruby Soho and Saraya has given her a prime spot on AEW's weekly TV shows, and winning the women's title for the second time has made her into one of the division's top stars.

If she can maintain the momentum she already has, she will have a Hall of Fame-worthy career when it's all wrapped up.

Hook

The way AEW captured the fans' attention with how Hook has been booked is truly a great example of the "less is more" mentality, but that won't last forever.

Eventually, the son of Taz is going to have to start having more frequent matches and delivering longer promos. That will be the real test of his capabilities.

For now, AEW has a certified star on its hands. The 24-year-old is a meme-making machine who seems to appeal to every type of wrestling fan.

His tag team with Jungle Boy probably won't last forever, but let's hope we get some fun matches out of them before the breakup inevitably happens.

Jamie Hayter

Jamie Hayter has become one of AEW's breakout stars over the last year.

Not only did she win the women's title and put on some great matches, but she also managed to become so popular that management was forced to turn her, Rebel and Britt Baker into babyfaces due to the crowd's refusal to boo Hayter.

She's just 28 years old but already has eight years of experience under her belt, so she is a young star who hasn't been considered a rookie for a long time.

Youth and experience are a valuable combination, especially in pro wrestling. If she can keep herself uninjured and continues to ride this wave of popularity, the Hampshire native will be around AEW for a long time.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Maxwell Jacob Friedman has become as synonymous with AEW as much as The Elite or Tony Khan, and he has done so by being one of the best in the world at what he does.

Whether he is trading insults on the mic or trading punches in a match, MJF is one of the most engaging and watchable wrestlers in the world. You want to cheer for him because he is so good, but you also want to see him get punched in the face because he is so good at being bad.

There are veterans who have been around for decades who wish they could control a crowd the way the AEW champion can. At only 27 years old, he has already set himself on a path to be considered one of the greatest of all time when he decides to retire.

Whether we get a real bidding war over him in 2024 remains to be seen, but for now, we can rest easy knowing the AEW world title is being carried by a guy who loves the business as much as anyone in that locker room.

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Which AEW stars under 30 do you think have the most potential? We will also be doing a list of WWE stars under 30, so feel free to share your picks below.