Ranking The 13 WWE and AEW Stars Under 30 Taking Over Professional Wrestling

The future of WWE and AEW is bright, young and exciting.

For as many issues fans have with the current wrestling landscape, both companies have undoubtedly done an exceptional job of quietly building up the talent of tomorrow.

Even if they're not necessarily competing in high-profile matches at the main event level right now (and some of them are), there are a number of fresh faces who have either already put together an impressive résumé for themselves or have shown serious signs of potential.

MJF, Konosuke Takeshita and Trick Williams are all either 30 or above, yet they also deserve to be considered among the next generation of the business thanks to their outstanding skill sets and how much more they can accomplish in the years to come.

Barring any career-ending injuries or exceptionally bad booking, there's no reason to think that the following 13 WWE and All Elite Wrestling stars under 30 won't be taking over professional wrestling sooner rather than later.

13. Zayda Steel

Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Age: 22

Signed with AEW: 2026

Previous promotions: WWE, MLW, ROH

WWE was smart to lock down Zayda Steel to a WWE ID contract when it had the chance in late 2024 given the buzz she was generating in MLW and on the indies prior to that point.

However, WWE not doing enough with her seemed to be the primary reason behind her not renewing the developmental deal in 2025.

The young and brash bombshell wasted no time in taking her talents to AEW and Ring of Honor, where she is now a weekly fixture. She started out pulling enhancement duty before making enough of an impact that she was named the newest member of SkyFlight, replacing the injured Leila Grey.

In the last month or so, she's branched out on her own and has received opportunities at both the ROH Women's World Television Championship and the ROH Women's World Championship, specifically in the main event of Supercard of Honor for the latter.

Between the ropes, she's adequate, but on the mic is where she tends to shine. For her to have that "it" factor so early in her career is astounding and shows that she will remain one to watch.

12. Blake Monroe

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Age: 27

Signed with WWE: 2025

Previous promotions: AEW, Stardom

Blake Monroe, formerly known as Mariah May, had practically the perfectly run in AEW. She was only under contract for about a year and a half, but in that time, she had a brilliantly-booked rivalry with Toni Storm, won the women's Owen Hart Cup and reigned as AEW Women's World champion for six months.

Thus, she came into NXT with plenty of fanfare in the summer of 2025 and quickly established herself as a threat by betraying Jordynne Grace. She also briefly held the NXT Women's North American Championship, but it was evident she'd be main roster bound sooner rather than later.

Sure enough, she was called up to SmackDown post-WrestleMania 42, though she has yet to make her formal debut on the blue brand (outside of one backstage segment) as of this writing. Her character is a natural fit for WWE and she's obviously skilled in the ring, so she shouldn't have much difficulty taking the SmackDown women's division by storm.

11. Megan Bayne

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Age: 28

Signed with AEW: 2025

Previous promotions: Stardom, GCW

For years, Megan Bayne had quietly been building some steam on the independent scene before finally debuting in AEW at the onset of 2025.

She was made out to be an unstoppable force from the get-go, and within months, she was challenging Toni Storm for the AEW Women's World Championship. She suffered her first defeat at Dynasty and it took time for her to rebound, but now she's back at the forefront of the division with newcomer Lena Kross as her partner.

Collectively known as The Divine Dominion, the dominant duo have had a stranglehold on the AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship since Revolution in March when they took the twin titles from The Babes of Wrath. They've set back several teams to retain the titles and have done so in record time on multiple occasions.

Once that tandem runs its course, Bayne should be back to wreaking havoc in the singles ranks and fighting for either the AEW Women's World Championship or the AEW TBS Championship. Her promos are a work in progress, but her physical charisma alone is enough to make up for that.

10. Roxanne Perez

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Age: 24

Signed with WWE: 2022

Previous promotions: ROH

At the age of 24, Roxanne Perez is indeed the "prodigy" she proclaims herself to be.

Perez had the advantage of being extremely talented upon breaking into the business so young. Her work in Booker T's Reality of Wrestling promotion combined with becoming the inaugural ROH Women's World champion earned her a contract with NXT in early 2022—a few months removed from her 20^th birthday.

She did everything she possibly could for the three years she spent on the brand in addition to making the rare Royal Rumble cameo and making infrequent appearances on Raw and SmackDown. Putting her in The Judgment Day once she joined the Raw roster full-time in 2025 was the best thing WWE could have done, as now fans are anxiously awaiting the day she cuts ties with her mentor Liv Morgan and challenges her for the Women's World Championship.

Perez has barely scratched the surface of what she's capable of in WWE, but her matches are consistently smooth and her promos have improved immensely from a few years ago. She's basically a background player for the time being, but with her entire career ahead of her, she will unquestionably excel.

9. Persephone

Age: 24

Signed with AEW: 2026

Previous promotions: ROH, CMLL

Persephone first made her presence felt in AEW in 2025 as part of the promotion's working relationship with CMLL. She unsuccessfully competed for the AEW TBS Championship at Forbidden Door before later beating Mercedes Moné for the CMLL World Women's Championship.

As of early 2026, she is officially under a dual contract to AEW and CMLL, while also appearing fairly consistently in ROH. She has been a standout in every single company she's competed for, not only because of her above-average in-ring ability but also because of her awe-inspiring presence.

Her mic skills are surprisingly strong and will only improve in time. AEW wisely isn't skyrocketing her to the top of the division, but she's already received an ample amount of exposure on Dynamite and Collision, including participating in the 2026 women's Owen Hart Cup.

Persephone should be one of the names AEW builds its women's division around down the road.

8. Je'Von Evans

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Age: 22

Signed with WWE: 2023

Previous promotions: DPW

Je'Von Evans has been nothing short of a revelation in the three years he's spent with WWE, wowing crowds with his innovative aerial offense despite being only 22-years-old.

It was understandable that WWE wanted to initially ease him into the NXT fold with him being so young, but he was so likable that it was impossible to keep him grounded for long. Mere months removed from his debut, he found himself contending for the NXT Championship in the main event of a premium live event, and engaging in a great feud with Ethan Page soon after.

While he never held gold in NXT, he came close on countless occasions, as well as in AAA whenever he'd wrestle there. WWE signed him to the Raw roster ahead of WrestleMania 42 so he could compete at the event in a thrilling Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship.

He's had a presence in the Intercontinental title scene since then and just recently advanced to the semifinals of the King of the Ring tournament. With Evans being an amazingly likable underdog, he'll have a high ceiling, especially if WWE doesn't do anything to limit his unbelievable athleticism.

7. Tiffany Stratton

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Age: 27

Signed with WWE: 2021

Previous promotions: N/A

Tiffany Stratton was among the earliest classes of NIL athletes who reported to the Performance Center in late 2021, but unlike others she was signed with, she was fast-tracked to NXT TV. Her "daddy's rich girl" gimmick didn't get her off to the strongest start, but her natural in-ring ability was certainly noticeable.

She went on to win the NXT Women's Championship while honing in a more refined character that clicked, essentially as the "Buff Barbie" of the brand. Although she debuted on SmackDown as a heel in early 2024, fans took to her as a babyface, so by the time she cashed in Money in the Bank to secure the WWE Women's Championship, they were firmly behind her.

Stratton has largely been well protected over the past year and has already rebounded as Women's United States champion. She takes complete control of the crowd every time she's out there regardless of what her role is supposed to be, though she's far more compelling as a heel.

If she's gotten this good in under five years, imagine how much better she'll be in five years from now and beyond.

6. Dominik Mysterio

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Age: 29

Signed with WWE: 2020

Previous promotions: N/A

Dominik Mysterio is very much a WWE Superstar through and through, having literally grown up in the company.

He first appeared alongside his father Rey Mysterio as part of his unforgettable feud with Eddie Guerrero in the summer of 2005, culminating in Rey winning a "Custody of Dominik" Ladder match at SummerSlam. He made another one-off appearance in 2010 for a birthday celebration on SmackDown before being brought back in 2019 for various storylines.

It wasn't until 2020 that he finally put pen to paper with WWE after entering full-time wrestling training. He was super impressive in his in-ring debut at SummerSlam against Seth Rollins but wouldn't really hit his stride until turning heel in 2022 when he joined The Judgment Day.

From winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 41 to becoming AAA Mega champion, Dominik had a fantastic 2025 on the whole. Although he's seen his momentum cool off coming into 2026, he's still a top prospect and should be considered a front-runner to win Money in the Bank eventually.

5. Kevin Knight

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Age: 29

Signed with AEW: 2025

Previous promotions: NJPW, TNA, MLW

Kevin Knight was a sneaky signing of sorts for AEW in 2025 in that he was brought in almost out of nowhere as an opponent for Will Ospreay in the men's Owen Hart Cup, began building momentum and never looked back.

After forming a friendship with Mike Bailey, JetSpeed was born. It was an exhilarating addition to the tag team scene, though Knight betrayed Bailey before they could win the tag titles together.

Knight's stock skyrocketed coming out of Double or Nothing because of his alliance with The Don Callis Family, him targeting a top star in Darby Allin and him holding the AEW TNT Championship. He has everything going for him right now and AEW should be capitalizing on that whenever possible.

It's too early to tell if Knight will be main event material at some point, but he's definitely well on his way.

4. Bron Breakker

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Age: 28

Signed with WWE: 2021

Previous promotions: N/A

As the son and nephew of WWE Hall of Famers Rick and Scott Steiner, Bron Breakker amounting to such stardom has hardly been surprising.

He was made out to be the face of NXT 2.0 from the moment that era of the show was introduced and he made the most of it. Two runs as NXT champion later, he was moved to the Raw roster, where he won the Intercontinental Championship by SummerSlam.

Seth Rollins recruiting him into The Vision sounded much more appealing on paper than it ended up being, and the fallout of their split hasn't been used to the advantage of Breakker whatsoever. Instead, he's been spinning his wheels and losing matches that he should be winning.

Breakker will be a multi-time WWE world champion in due time, but the company has somehow squandered what they had with him and are seemingly opting to keep him out of main event plans for the foreseeable future.

As a result, the second-generation star is a little lower on the list than he would be normally.

3. Kyle Fletcher

Age: 27

Signed with AEW: 2023

Previous promotions: NJPW, ROH

Kyle Fletcher's transformation from tag team stalwart to breakout singles star has been spectacular to see.

His early work in Aussie Open alongside Mark Davis in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring of Honor's tag team divisions was solid, but Davis getting sidelined with an injury in late 2023 afforded Fletcher the opportunity to make a name for himself on his own.

With the backing of The Don Callis Family, Fletcher burst onto the singles scene in 2024 and had standout matches with a plethora of opponents. In 2025, he was elevated to the next level by feuding with Will Ospreay, winning the AEW TNT Championship and challenging for the AEW World Championship in the main event of All Out.

AEW has done an exceptional job of building up The Protostar and ensuring he will be a world champion—as well as a perennial main event player—before long.

2. Rhea Ripley

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Age: 29

Signed with WWE: 2017

Previous promotions: N/A

With this July marking nine years since Rhea Ripley became a WWE Superstar, it's easy to forget that she's not even 30 yet after all the history she's managed to make so far.

She competed for various independent promotions while starting out in Australia, but otherwise, she was a relative unknown ahead of her debut in WWE's Mae Young Classic in 2017. Early impressions of her work from fans were positive, though she truly found herself as a character when she joined the launch of NXT UK a year later and evolved into The Eradicator.

Her dominance through the ranks of NXT UK and NXT ultimately led her to Raw, where she clinched the Raw Women's Championship within months of making her main roster debut. Similar to Dominik Mysterio, she too experienced a career resurgence upon being recruited by The Judgment Day and becoming the badass brute WWE faithful know and love today.

Ripley is currently a cornerstone of WWE's stacked women's division and can continue carry the company into the future for as long as she has the desire to do so.

1. Oba Femi

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Age: 28

Signed with WWE: 2021

Previous promotions: N/A

For proof that WWE's NIL program is a certified success, look no further than Oba Femi.

He was a part of the inaugural class of collegiate athletes to sign with WWE at the end of 2021, later reporting to the Performance Center upon graduating college. He formally debuted on NXT TV in the final months of 2023, won the Men's Breakout Tournament and captured the NXT North American Championship almost immediately.

He's had an incredible rise in the two years since then, specifically in 2025 when he achieved NXT Championship glory and became the face of the brand from that point forward. It was always more a matter of when and not if he'd make a major splash on the main roster, but no one could have ever expected him to be as over with the audience as he was when he wrestled Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event last December.

It became clear at that moment that Femi was destined for big things in WWE. He had a stellar showing in the men's Royal Rumble a month later before decimating Brock Lesnar in epic fashion at WrestleMania 42.

WWE has a massive star on their hands with Femi, who checks all the boxes of what it takes to be a top talent for years to come. The Ruler's era has arrived, and it won't be long before he's at the apex of the promotion where he belongs.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.