Ranking WWE and AEW's Most Impressive New Talents in 2023

Wrestling is in a boom period. With live attendance on the rise and multiple stars reaching a popularity not seen since the end of the Attitude Era, the time is now for new talent to arise.

WWE has slow built key acts that truly came into their own in 2023. They have made an immediately impression through personality and unrivaled talent.

All Elite Wrestling brought in new stars from across the wrestling world to keep up the company's momentum for years to come.

Names like LA Knight, Swerve Strickland, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, Konosuke Takeshita, Solo Sikoa, Grayson Waller and Jay White have made a lasting impression.

Who has made the biggest impression? The following are the most impressive talents signed by AEW or WWE that truly established themselves as stars in 2023.

Ones to Watch

20. Jeff Jarrett

At 56 years old, Jarrett has seen a career renaissance in AEW. While it may facetious to place him in an article focused on young rising acts, it is still remarkable how much he has grown from bit player in the past 10 years to featured talent on national TV again.

19. Billie Starkz

Fans have yet to fully what Billie Starkz is capable of. However, at 18 years old, she is turning heads in Ring of Honor, working with Athena. With four years of experience already, her potential is limitless.

18. Nick Wayne

While Starkz may need more time to establish herself, Nick Wayne is already featured regularly in AEW. He is an impressive athlete with a strong support structure. He just needs to find the role that makes him shine.

17. Mark Briscoe

The Briscoe Brothers were a tag team for nearly 20 years, dominating Ring of Honor. Following the tragic passing of his brother Jay, Mark is getting a chance to finally stand out on his own. He has shined, but a knee injury will stall his rise.

16. "Big" Bronson Reed

Reed is a big man that can keep up with the cruiserweights. He has a personality that shows through when he gets a chance to stand out. He has continued to impressive with television time since he return to WWE in December 2022.

On the Rise

15. Rush

Opportunity has been limited for Rush up to this point, but he has made the most of it. His matches with Bryan Danielson and Jack Perry shocked many. He is one of AEW's most physical performers and ready to break out.

14. Dragon Lee

Dragon was hyped from his original signing at the end of 2022. His NXT run has been slow and steady, but he truly turned heads in his match with "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio on Monday Night Raw. He will be a stable of Raw or SmackDown soon.

13. Chelsea Green

Green got herself over in WWE. With limited opportunity, she has sold herself through pure personality. She earned an opportunity to carry the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. She just needs more time to take further steps forward.

12. Aussie Open

While Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis made their name initially in New Japan, they are still outside the top tag team discussion. That could change as soon as Sunday though if they steal the show with FTR at WrestleDream.

11. Daniel Garcia

Since his signing in late 2021, Garcia has slowly integrated himself in AEW, but he has not stood out enough on his own. That is beginning to change as he has complimented his impressive in-ring abilities with a growing personality.

#10: Grayson Waller

Grayson Waller started his professional wrestling journey later than most, debuting at the age of 27 years old in Newcastle Pro Wrestling. His work in Australian wrestling scene caught the eye of WWE scouts, who brought him in with four years of experience.

His charisma quickly began to shine through in his performances until NXT had no choice but to rely upon him. However, he was not a true top name on the brand.

That is changing on SmackDown. In 2023, he has debuted in the ring on the blue brand battling Edge in Madison Square Garden and confronted John Cena himself at Backlash.

He may not have a featured rivalry yet on the main roster, but he is making a lasting impression with each appearance. The Grayson Waller Effect is now the defining talk show on SmackDown.

It will not be long before Waller is winning gold. He has the mic skills to combat the top names in the business, and he has already rubbed shoulders with world champions.

His biggest test to date is rehabilitating the image of his new tag team partner Austin Theory, who has struggled to check on with the WWE Universe.

#9: Solo Sikoa

As the Anoa'i family tree continues to take over WWE, signing Solo Sikoa after just three years of working on the independent scene was a foregone conclusion.

His year in NXT was mostly a test run for what he would do after he joined The Bloodline at Clash at the Castle.

He remains more of a heavy for Roman Reigns than a star all his own, but he continues to get more opportunities of his own. He has worked multiple singles main event matches with stars like Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles.

He is not at their level yet despite winning these matches. At times, his booking has been driven more by his family relations than his inherent talent.

However, he has clearly improved. WWE is protecting him time and again, ready for his breakout moment. He has a presence that sells him as worthy of standing next to even John Cena.

When his technical ability grows to match his booking, The Enforcer will become an instant top name in the business.

#8: Willow Nightingale

AEW has not done enough with its women's division in 2023 to continue building the division, but one woman has certainly grown into a top name: Willow Nightingale.

In October 2022, after about a year of earning her spot with steady performances in losing efforts, Willow signed with AEW.

In 2023, she won the NJPW Strong Women's Championship and the women's Owen Hart Foundation tournament. She is a regular star on Dynamite and Collision, rarely missing a week of television.

While she is waiting to win her first AEW championship, that time is coming. AEW relies upon her more than most of the women's division, and she is only 29 years old.

The future for Willow is impressively bright, standing at the top of the second wave of AEW women's wrestling.

#7: Wheeler Yuta

Wheeler Yuta is quietly controversial name in AEW. Blackpool Combat Club is a group of top wrestling names. Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli are legitimate main event acts.

Then there is Yuta. He is the one "young lion" of the group and is still not quite ready to compete at the level of his BCC peers. However, he has consistently and impressively improved.

In 2023, that was clearer than ever. While his in-ring work is unquestionable, highlighted by his matches with Orange Cassidy, Daniel Garcia and Katsuyori Shibata, his mic work has been heavily scrutinized.

In the last two months, he has cut memorable promos on what it means to him to fight with BCC. He has looked more and more like a complete star in 2023, which is vital. At 26 years old, he is the true future of one of AEW's most important stables.

He is the first-and-primary heir apparent for Danielson, Mox and Castagnoli. It may take him years longer to prove he is worthy of that title, but he is earning it right now.

#6: Tiffany Stratton

Tiffany Stratton was not supposed to get this good this fast. The Center of the Universe began her wrestling journey in the WWE Performance Center in 2021.

She has quickly become one of WWE's biggest developmental success stories. After an uneven start in NXT, she truly arrived in 2023.

She showed off her athleticism in memorable matches with Roxanne Perez, Indi Hartwell and especially Lyra Valkyria. She won the NXT Women's Championship, and everyone agreed it was the right move.

Her recent feud with Becky Lynch has turned even more heads along the way. She has looked to the task in competing with arguably the biggest name in women's wrestling.

The sky is the limit for The Center of the Universe, who has looked like the most natural athlete WWE has produced since Charlotte Flair.

#5: "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio

While Dominik Mysterio first debuted in WWE as an in-ring performer in 2020, he was basically involved in a high-profile developmental program working with his father Rey Mysterio.

He truly became a star on his own right after he joined The Judgment Day after Clash at the Castle. He has embraced his unique relationship with WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero, looking more comfortable emulating him instead of his father.

In 2023, he has delivered impressive performance in the ring and out of it. He is one of the most hated heels in wrestling following his betrayal of Rey. His match with his father was a memorable highlight at WrestleMania 39.

His first title run with the NXT North American Championship increased fan attention on the gold brand. His feud with Dragon Lee is turning heads.

While he has certainly benefited from his last name, Dirty Dom is only continuing to grow on the mic and in the ring at his own pace. At 26 years old, he has become a staple of weekly WWE television.

#4: Jay White

Calling Jay White a "new" star is stretching as he was seen as a major name when his contract expired with New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2023.

However, he still lacked TV wrestling experience. That has not stopped him from making an immediate impression with AEW.

Bullet Club Gold has stolen the show time and again, particularly becoming a staple of Collision. The comedy quartet has not lost any legitimacy while delivering hilarious promos time and again.

White is in position to raise his stock to a main event level in late 2023 as he begins a rivalry with AEW world champion MJF. Even including his work as IWGP world heavyweight champion, this may be the most important story of White's career.

The Switchblade has a chance to become one of the top guys in wrestling in his very first year on national television. He has all the tools to do just that as a top in-ring worker and impressive promo.

#3: Konosuke Takeshita

After a decade in DDT Pro-Wrestling, Konosuke Takeshita made his television debut in AEW in 2022. The partnership of AEW and DDT allowed Takeshita to work regular dates for the company, and he made the most of it.

His work with Hangman Adam Page was the first head-turner, but he backed it up against Eddie Kingston, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli.

Many were just waiting for AEW to commit fully to him. That came at Double or Nothing where he cost The Elite the Anarchy in the Arena match, aligning with Don Callis.

He has stolen the show as a heel. working with Kenny Omega. He moves faster than most of the top names in the business, and he has a top star aura that is unmistakable.

El Hijo del Callis is ready to become a top name in wrestling as the centerpiece of The Callis Family.

#2: LA Knight

Sometimes, all it takes is one opportunity. LA Knight wrestled for 22 years before he got a real chance in WWE. Most that knew his work from Impact Wrestling and even NWA could see the presence and charisma that could make him a star.

However, it took until his 40th birthday to get his opportunity. Particularly, after a failed manager run with Maximum Male Models, he got to work with Bray Wyatt at the end of 2022 through Royal Rumble 2023.

Knight got serious mic time, and fans responded. Audiences grew louder for him every week until it was undeniable.

It is that a 40-year-old star is seen as a "new star", but Knight has only truly put it all together in 2023. He is suddenly one of the top babyfaces in wrestling.

He may not have a long shelf life as a main event act, but he is going to run as far as his body will let him with an opportunity he has awaited for more than half his life.

#1: Swerve Strickland

Swerve Strickland stands atop the wrestling world as the biggest rising star in the sport. While many may talked about The Mogul as a future mega-star, it was not until 2023 that he has truly reached that potential.

This is not because of his talent. Swerve has repeatedly delivered on opportunities, but he had yet to be given the opportunities that should be afforded based on his efforts.

He made a name for himself throughout the independent scene from 2008 - 2019 including working in Lucha Underground, Major League Wrestling, Combat Sports Wrestling and Defy Wrestling.

Then he got his big break by signing with WWE. Despite building a money stable with Hit Row that debuted on the main roster just five months into its run, WWE abruptly cut him as well as the rest of Hit Row in November 2021.

WWE's loss was AEW's gain. He debuted at Revolution 2022 where his signing was officially announced. After a memorable but short run with Keith Lee as AEW tag team champions, he turned heel and became his ascent to top heel status.

His feud with Darby Allin was a highlight of Dynamite time and again, but it was only an introduction to what was to come. His new feud with Hangman Adam Page is the hottest angle in AEW.

Swerve is a great wrestler and promo, but what has especially become clear in 2023 is that he has the presence of a top guy. At this point, he is the most likely heel to dethrone MJF as AEW world champion, only one year into his AEW run.