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Ranking the top ten AEW and WWE performers 29 years old and younger

By Raphael Garcia

Apr 11, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Asuka (green/yellow attire) and Rhea Ripley (black attire) during the Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania 37 at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Asuka (green/yellow attire) and Rhea Ripley (black attire) during the Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania 37 at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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AEW and WWE boast two of the best rosters in wrestling, and these names stand out as the potential to be the stars to carry this generation. 

Professional wrestling is an industry that often struggles to embrace its up-and-coming talent. Unlike mixed martial arts, where youthful competitors bully the older veterans out of the way, young performers in professional wrestling often struggle to carve their way to the top early in their run. This is one thing that has made AEW’s establishment of young stars in such a brief time so special to see.

All Elite Wrestling boasts a plethora of performers that are 29 years old or younger, and those competitors are building the foundation of that company’s future. But do not sleep on the talented names in WWE that are in that same age range. WWE has long leaned on “nostalgia pops” in the wrong way, but that does not take away from the young talent this promotion has ready to break through to the top.

This list looks at the top ten names in AEW and WWE that are 29 years of age or younger as of April 11, 2023. This is a subjective list that considers a performer’s career accolades and their current match rating of Cagematch. These performers also have a profile that is on the company’s official website.

Let’s dive into these ten names that fans should be prepared to see throughout this generation.

Honorable Mentions

The honorable mentions on this list include some compelling names, many are former champions, and others will hold titles in the future. There are even two names that stand out as tag team wrestlers, but fans have their eyes on them as potential single stars when they move away from the pairing with their real-life brothers.

WWE

  • Dragon Lee (27/9.01) Dragon Lee is on the honorable mentions list only because he’s still new in the WWE. To date, he’s had only two televised matches, but expect big things from Lee in the future.
  • Ilja Dragunov (29/9.01) Ilja Dragunov is one of the heavy hitters in WWE NXT. His run on NXT UK was exceptional. He and GUNTHER won back-to-back Match of the Year awards. Unfortunately, it is hard to see WWE strapping the rocket to him with a main roster run.
  • Axiom (25/8.26) Axiom has excelled with this new character after initial apprehension. He’s still booked as a gatekeeper to mid-card stars on NXT, but he should be in line for a title run of his own in the near future.
  • Julius Creed (28/6.83) Some are tabbing Julius Creed as a Brock Lesnar-like prospect in NXT. Will he reach that point? Only time will tell, but he checks a lot of the boxes for what could be a strong presence for years to come.
  • Indi Hartwell (26/6.13) Indi Hartwell has finally reached an accolade of her own as NXT Women’s Champion. Could she break through on the main roster? That’s the big question that will need answers.

AEW

  • Toni Storm (27/8.22) Toni Storm is a multiple-time champion and an in-ring machine, but there are still big questions about how well her character connects to fans.
  • Lee Moriarty (27/8.01) Lee Moriarty is one of those names on the AEW roster that fans want to see more of soon. Will he get that opportunity?
  • Wheeler Yuta (26/7.48) Wheeler Yuta is killing it as a part of the Blackpool Combat Club, and reached Ring of Honor Pure Championship status, but could he thrive as a singles star?
  • Dante Martin (22/7.16) AEW has gone stop and start with Dante Martin a few times, but they have a big babyface star with him when they are ready to give him that push.
  • Sammy Guevara (29/7.09) Sammy Guevara has been a top-level player in AEW for years, but is he the lowest ranked of the four “pillars” of AEW?
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