While I certainly wasn’t the first person to use the “30 Under 30” idea, I’m pretty confident in saying I’m the first to use it for the world of pro wrestling. I’ve been doing it for years now, looking at the future of the sport and those on the biggest stages who have what it takes to change the business for years to come.
I’m not saying that ESPN took my idea for their own “30 Under 30” list, but I’m not not saying it, either.
I’ve always loved the idea of looking to the future when it comes to sports. I was always thinking about who would be a future World Champion, even when I was a younger fan. I’m probably the biggest NFL Draft nerd that you’ll ever meet, at least of those who aren’t employed by ESPN or the NFL Network to do it for a living.
The premise of my 30 Under 30 list is a simple one. I look at the rosters of WWE, NXT, and AEW to come up with the 30 wrestlers currently under the age of 30 that I feel have the brightest futures. Some of them have already reached the top of the sport, while others are still fighting tooth and nail for some extra recognition, but they all have what it takes to dominate wrestling for years to come.
It’s important to note that I’m talking about futures here. This isn’t a list of the 30 best wrestlers under the age of 30 at this very moment. You might see a name on here that you aren’t all that familiar with, or someone who hasn’t been used very well up to this point. That’s fine. Just think future. Future, future, future.
To be included here, a wrestler has to be under the age of 30 as of January 1st of that year. Also, I try to include tag teams as one entry if both members of the duo fit the age criteria.
Finally, this list will be in chronological order, starting with the oldest name and ending with the youngest name, so please don’t get upset that Wrestler A is listed before Wrestler B.
I think I’ve explained it enough. Are you ready to look into the future? Let’s have some fun.
Jordynne Grace (Born on March 5th, 1996): If you’ve watched her time with NXT, it might not necessarily appear that the decision makers there agree with me about her future. It feels like she has lost just about every match in NXT that one would consider “big.” Her presence there still can’t be overlooked, though. On a roster full of super young women, Jordynne brings a veteran mentality, even at the age of 29, and it’s that steady hand that keeps her in contention for everything there. (Writer’s Note: This entry was written before Smackdown, where, for all intents and purposes, Jordynne made her main roster debut. If she stays on Smackdown, it would be a major benefit to her. The Smackdown women’s division is a lot less deep than what we see on Raw, which could/should allow for Jordynne to stand out more. Her impressive power game will work well with Jade Cargill, who is the current WWE Women’s Champion on Friday nights.)
MJF (March 15th, 1996): He isn’t even 30 years old yet, but an argument can be made that he has been the best heel in pro wrestling for the last few years. At one point, not all that long ago, he was viewed as someone whose character work was incredible, but whose in-ring work didn’t quite match up. All he’s done since those takes is prove those doubters wrong, becoming one of the best, and most consistent, in-ring workers on the AEW roster. That level of in-ring ability matching up with that level of character work? That’s the type of combination that can dominate the business for as long as he wants to do so.
Rhea Ripley (October 11th, 1996): It’s crazy to think about how much she has already gone on to accomplish in her career. NXT UK Women’s Champion, NXT Women’s Champion, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, Royal Rumble winner, WWE Raw Women’s Champion, two-time Women’s World Champion, seventh Women’s Triple Crown Champion, fifth Women’s Grand Slam Champion… all before her 30th birthday. One of the biggest things that she’s missing is something that she is rumored to be in the running for this year, and that’s a main event spot at WrestleMania. If she gets that nod this year, it would tie her with Sasha Banks for the youngest woman to ever compete in a WrestleMania main event, although Sasha was 115 or 116 days younger when she wrestled Bianca Belair in the main event of the first night of WrestleMania 37 than Rhea would be at WrestleMania 42. It still counts, though, and you can bet WWE will make mention of Rhea being the “youngest” without specifically mentioning Sasha by name. Rhea is one of the biggest stars in the business today, and it’s crazy to think about how much more time she might have in the spotlight. It hasn’t even been five years since she debuted on the main roster.
Lyra Valkyria (October 23rd, 1996): As soon as Lyra came to the United States after her stint with NXT UK, I said that she had the in-ring skills to succeed in front of a completely different type of wrestling crowd than she was used to dealing with. Her immediate success with the flagship NXT brand proved me right. After being drafted to Raw, she had immediate success there, too, but I felt that her ability to connect with live crowds on the main roster wasn’t quite as strong as it needed to be for her to reach the same heights as some of her contemporaries on Raw. She is coming up on two years since being called up, and while I still feel that she has some work to do in that area, I will also admit that her personality and charisma have come a long way in that span. Crowds are reacting to her promos more, and she seems to be getting more comfortable doing those promos. If that trend continues to improve in the future, there’s nothing holding her back from reaching truly great heights with WWE.
Tatum Paxley (October 29th, 1996): Character work, character work, character work. When you’re trying to gauge Tatum Paxley’s future and how bright it is, you simply need to look no further than her character work. She has done a tremendous job portraying this unhinged character in NXT, and it built up a groundswell of support from the NXT fans. She has had some weird luck when it comes to who she was paired with on television, with people being released or called up to the main roster in the middle of their arc, but that hasn’t stopped her. Her popularity continued to grow, even when she was working with a heel stable that nobody cared about, and it led to her winning the NXT Women’s Title a few months ago in one of the brand’s best feel-good moments of the year. It wasn’t a long reign at all, coming in at only 24 days, but it seemed like a bit of a sampler, of sorts, to show fans what was to come.
Kevin Knight (January 1st, 1997): I’ll admit… I was wrong about Kevin Knight in AEW. Not that I didn’t think he was talented. Actually, I was a really big fan of his work in New Japan and Impact Wrestling. I was just worried that he would get lost in the shuffle on what I feel is an overcrowded roster in AEW. The company’s track record of sustained pushes for new signings isn’t great. Like many others, I assumed he would get a mini-push for a few weeks, and then he’d go missing while the next free agent signings come in and get some television time. Here we are, months later, and not only is he still a regular part of AEW programming, but he’s doing very well for himself. Although they haven’t won the Tag Team Titles yet, his pairing with “Speedball” Mike Bailey has been very successful and has become one of the more popular acts going. As a singles wrestler, he recently joined a very exclusive club by pinning Kazuchika Okada. Jon Moxley, Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher (twice), Bryan Danielson… that’s the entire list of people who have pinned Okada in singles competition over the last two-and-a-half years. AEW putting Kevin Knight in a position like that tells me all I need to know. He appears to be here to stay.
Dominik Mysterio (April 5th, 1997): Man, Dom is such an interesting case study. He was quite the “white meat babyface” with a squeaky clean image when he first debuted, working alongside his father, Rey Mysterio. Eventually, he would turn heel and everything changed. Instantly, he was bringing in old school heel heat, where crowds all over the world were showering him with hate and not even giving him a chance to say a word during his promos. As he continued getting better in the ring, learning and working a completely different in-ring style along the way, an unexpected thing happened… without changing anything about his character in any way, Dom began getting bigger and bigger face reactions. When he won the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania 41, the crowd exploded, and it appeared as if we were getting a full fledged face turn for the biggest heel on the WWE roster. That never did take place, but what it did was show WWE what the future could hold for them should they decide to pull the trigger on a face turn. They could be sitting on a goldmine with him. Even if he stays a heel, he has proven that he understands the role very well, and knows how to do the little things to create just that little extra amount of heat, whether it’s during a match, a promo, or even when he’s at ringside for someone else’s match. That makes him a very valuable commodity right now.
Lash Legend (May 6th, 1997): She’s six-feet-tall, thicker than cold peanut butter, and has a strong enough athletic background that she participated in the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament and was drafted by the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. Oh, and she has an over-the-top personality that is just as big as her physical frame. For a little bit of extra sprinkles on top, she has really picked up the sport quickly, improving her in-ring skills exponentially while in NXT, coming a long way from her days doing the Lashing Out With Lash Legend segments. With Nia Jax turning 42 this year, the “giant” role in the WWE women’s division could be opening up sooner than later, further allowing Lash to seize the opportunities that are placed before her.
Axiom (May 9th, 1997) & Nathan Frazer (July 23rd, 1998): Not all that long ago, I declared the duo of FrAxiom to be the best tag team in the world, and they had a strong argument for being the best tag team in the world in back-to-back years. Perhaps it’s due to the loaded tag division on Smackdown, or perhaps it’s due to the company changing their minds about FrAxiom, but their luck has certainly changed recently. It has been nearly eight months since they last won a match on television, and it has been a month-and-a-half since they’ve even wrestled on television. Maybe I’m crazy, but I still have faith in their futures. Not quite as much faith as I once had, but I still have faith nonetheless. They’re both still young (obviously), and there isn’t a tag team on the entire WWE roster that can do what these guys do on offense, and with the speed and precision they do it in. Time might be running out for them, though. We’ll see.
Jack Perry (June 16th, 1997): There should be a little asterisk that comes with this entry. Yes, Jack Perry has a bright future in pro wrestling, but I think that only stands if he’s a face. The heel thing was attempted, and it didn’t work. At all. Nobody bought it, and eventually, wrestling companies didn’t buy it, either, sending Jack home to do metal work in his garage for months. Sure enough, he returned to AEW as a face, and fans welcomed him back with open arms. There’s a real test on the horizon for him now that it has been revealed that Luchasaurus has a shoulder injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for a yet-to-be-determined amount of time. How will solo face Jack Perry work? We’re about to find out. He comes across as someone that is easy to like, and that shows in the crowd reactions he gets as a face. Now it’s time for him to build some momentum as a solo act.
Tavion Heights (July 27th, 1997): There are all sorts of “bases” that can be built upon to create a talented and successful pro wrestler. One of the easiest transitions, and one that comes with the most regular successful transitions, is a solid amateur wrestling background. That’s what Tavion Heights brings to the table. He is a three-time medalist at the Pan American Wrestling Championships, including a gold medal won in 2020, is a bronze medalist at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships, and was a member of the United States Greco-Roman wrestling team at the 2020 Summer Olympics. A year-and-a-half after making his pro debut in late-2022, he was sent on an excursion to Japan, working for Pro Wrestling NOAH, competing in their N-1 Victory tournament. While in Japan, he added to his training by working under puroresu greats, Keiji Muto (aka The Great Muta) and Naomichi Marufuji. On top of everything else, he has shown, on multiple occasions, that he also owns a natural charisma and personality that would only serve him well as a pro wrestler. He has had a couple of mini-pushes in NXT, but has always shown the type of potential that has him included on a lot of lists like this. Barely three years into his pro career, he continues to improve, and has seen himself positioned as someone who could/should be competing for the NXT North American Title or the NXT Tag Team Titles soon.
Austin Theory (August 2nd, 1997): There has always been a lot of potential with Austin Theory, but he has had some weird booking decisions on WWE’s main roster. Having him as Vince McMahon’s new “chosen one” of sorts was a disaster, and fans were against it immediately. One of Vince’s final booking decisions before he “retired” in 2022 was to have Theory win the Money In The Bank Ladder Match that year. Within three weeks of Theory winning the briefcase, Vince was gone. How did Paul Levesque handle the story? He booked Theory to cash in for the United States Title… and lose. To be fair, Theory did go on to win the United States Title a few weeks later, holding the title for eight-and-a-half months (the longest United States Title reign in a full decade), but still, that was brutal. After an uneventful pairing with Grayson Waller as A-Town Down Under fizzled out, Theory was on the shelf for a few months with an injury, but has returned in another high profile spot, this time working with The Vision. Is this a fresh start for him, without the poor booking of the past? A lot of people forget that he was building a connection with live crowds before his injury, with fans wanting him to break free from Grayson Waller, and they were giving him face pops. Working with Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed could be very beneficial for him. He doesn’t have to handle any of the heavy lifting, while still being involved in major television time and storylines. It could finally be time for him to see some of that potential through to the finish line.
Bron Breakker (October 24th, 1997): From the moment he debuted in NXT, you could see great things in Bron’s future. He was a freak-of-nature athletically, looked like a million bucks, and has a championship bloodline with ready-made stories to be told. Even without being given the “Steiner” name, as many fans complained about in the beginning, he still made it to the top of NXT in a relatively short amount of time. His rise on the main roster has also been an impressive one. A little over five months after making his in-ring debut on Smackdown, he defeated Sami Zayn at SummerSlam to win the Intercontinental Title. While his reign wasn’t all that impressive, lasting only 51 days, he would win the title back a month later and the second reign would end six months later. His second year as a main roster performer has basically been nothing but being involved with The Vision, putting him smack dab in the middle of one of Raw’s biggest storylines, giving him a ton of television time. Fast forward to the here and now, and there is a possibility he could be the World Heavyweight Champion mere hours after this column goes live to the world. Even if he doesn’t defeat CM Punk to win the title on the day I post this column, I think it would take something catastrophic (terrible injury, unforeseen legal issues, etc.) for him not to become a World Champion at some point in 2026.
Oba Femi (April 22nd, 1998): In the entire world of professional wrestling, there isn’t a bigger “sure thing” when it comes to future greatness than Oba Femi. He checks every single box you need to be a major star in the sport, and he is only getting better, having only been a pro for three years, coming in with zero amateur or independent wrestling background. He already showed that he “belonged” on the main roster when he wrestled Cody Rhodes on Saturday Night’s Main Event and looked great in doing so, and he has a feud with Drew McIntyre that is ready to go for the future. If Paul Levesque messes this up, he shouldn’t be allowed within 500 yards of life itself.
Megan Bayne (June 1st, 1998): While she is clearly a “tall glass of water,” as the saying goes, I was surprised to find out that she isn’t taller than her listed height. She is announced as being 5’11”, which is plenty tall, but the combination of her body type and her on-screen presentation makes her seem like she’s multiple inches taller than that. She has the type of presence that immediately captures your attention as soon as you see her, but it doesn’t end at first sight. You don’t always think about the “giant” wrestlers as people who can “go” in the ring, but she meets the criteria for both labels. Her time in Japan, working for the Stardom promotion, showed that she isn’t afraid of working longer matches and/or matches that feature a faster pace of action. It wasn’t just in Japan, either. Her time on the American independent scene also showed that she could work her ass off in a variety of match types against a variety of opponents, including a bunch of men. I don’t think she has been truly unleashed yet in AEW, but that isn’t her fault. She might be tough to deny for too much longer, though, as she keeps racking up fun performances in the ring.
Lola Vice (July 19th, 1998): I don’t think it’s out of bounds to say that Lola Vice initially got noticed because of the way she looks. Even going back to her days as a mixed martial artist in Bellator, you’d notice this very attractive woman coming out, and then she’d go out and put the hurting on her opponents, winning four of her five fights, including two wins by knockout. The same thing goes for her as a pro wrestler. She walks out, you’re captured by her looks and her dancing, and then she gets in the ring and puts a hurting on her opponents. NXT has a small handful of women that feel like they’re on the cusp of truly breaking out in 2026, and she is right there at the top of that list. As an added bonus, she is getting good experience working for AAA, as well, which gives her a chance to also gain more exposure, more experience, and work different styles into her own profile.
Blake Monroe (August 4th, 1998): If good looks were a minute, Blake Monroe is going to give you an hour. She has proven that she can “go” in the ring, and is capable of getting down and dirty, so to speak, and working different styles of matches. Her character work is damn sure something that she has proven is incredibly strong. She has each and every thing you would want your top female star to possess, and she proved it in AEW, is proving it in NXT, and I’m pretty sure will be proving it on Raw or Smackdown sooner than later.
Kelani Jordan (October 22nd, 1998): When it comes to pure athletic ability, there might not be any woman in all of NXT who can top Kelani Jordan. Coming from an artistic gymnastics background, she has never been afraid of showcasing that athletic ability in her brief wrestling career. She has only been a pro for just over three years, but has already seen a lot of success. In June 2024, she was the inaugural NXT Women’s North American Champion, holding the title for almost five months. Then, this past September, she won the TNA Knockouts Title, holding that for nearly two months. There’s no reason to believe her success won’t continue with a new calendar year upon us. I dig it. She’s a lot of fun to watch.
Kyle Fletcher (December 24th, 1998): Not all that long ago, Kyle Fletcher… as good as he was in the ring… was almost completely overshadowed by his United Empire stablemate, Will Ospreay. Ospreay was the guy who was going to dominate the sport for years to come, and Ospreay was the guy who was going to make a huge splash when he signed with AEW. Fletcher was in a tag team with Mark Davis, and although they were a lot of fun to watch, it was still the “Will Ospreay Show” in the eyes of most fans. Once Davis went down with an injury, though, Fletcher was given a chance to run with the ball, so to speak, and he hasn’t stopped running ever since. He is arguably the most consistently excellent in-ring performer on the AEW roster right now, delivering epic matches and performances on a regular basis. While he hasn’t won the AEW World Title yet, he has placed himself in the conversation to do so in 2026… and again in 2027, and again in 2028, and so on.
Jaida Parker (February 12th, 1999): Her in-ring career will always be connected to the careers of Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan. They came up through the ranks together, and as a matter of fact, they all made their pro debuts in the same match… a Battle Royal at an NXT house show. Kelani has had the most championship success of the trio, while Lola has had perhaps the most overall opportunities, but Jaida shouldn’t be overlooked. She has the best character work of the three, and I don’t even think it’s close. If she keeps improving in the ring the way she has been, I think she eventually becomes someone who can’t be denied. Again, that character work has been great. She stands out right away, and that can only help her.
Tiffany Stratton (May 1st, 1999): When she first debuted in NXT, I saw a ton of potential in her future, even going so far as to say she was the “next Bianca Belair.” Bianca arrived in NXT without any wrestling background, but she was able to use her history as a powerlifter and as a track and field athlete to build a strong base for success. Tiffany arrived in NXT without any wrestling background, but she had a history as a weightlifter and a gymnast to build a strong base for success. Using the “Barbie” style character added an extra layer to Tiffany’s presentation, and she has only blown up from there. After an incredible start to her main roster tenure, the sky truly does seem to be the limit for her as she continues getting better. She’s still only four years into her journey as a pro. That’s wild.
Hook (May 4th, 1999): I went back and forth on whether or not to include Hook on this year’s list, through absolutely no fault of his own. At one point, you could make an argument that Hook was one of the top three hottest acts in all of AEW. His presentation was clever and unique, and his crowd reactions were growing with each passing week. As an added bonus, he was showing great improvement in the ring, while still being incredibly green. Not only is he not on that level these days, though, I think it’s safe to say that he isn’t even close to that level, and hasn’t been for a long time. In the end, I obviously decided to include him, because I think the live crowds are still looking for a reason to assist him up the card. His current heel run with The Opps isn’t it, but the buzz and the rumblings are still there, even if they’re bubbling beneath the surface. If he can continue improving in the ring, then the potential is still there for something special.
Myles Borne (May 25th, 1999): At one point, fair or not, I think he was merely viewed as the deaf wrestler on the NXT roster. Over time, not only did he begin to morph into looking more and more like a younger Randy Orton, but he got more on-screen time to show what he can do in the ring. He has had some really good matches recently, even facing Oba Femi for the NXT Title at Battleground, coming close to shocking the world and taking the title home. He has remained in the “upper midcard” portion of NXT, competing in two #1 Contender matches for the NXT Title recently, and right now, that’s a great spot for him. He keeps getting experience, and also gets a chance to keep building a connection with NXT crowds. He’s coming along nicely.
Sol Ruca (August 26th, 1999): Her athletic ability and ultra flashy offense made her stand out in NXT, but it’s also helping her stand out on the main roster. She received a bit of an early introduction to main roster audiences, and even when she doesn’t come out victorious, she leaves her mark and people remember her. Her matches get attention, and her character is easy to like and get behind. It’s not difficult to picture her having success on Raw or Smackdown, whether it’s with Zaria or as a singles competitor.
Kendal Grey (June 15th, 2001): Obviously, not many people are watching Evolve, but that means most fans are missing out on Kendal’s run there. She made it to the top of Evolve quickly, going on to become the second Evolve Women’s Champion, and has now had the title for nearly three months. It led to more appearances on NXT programming, and eventually, led to a bit of a surprise when she won the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge at Deadline. When this column goes live to the world, she will be a day away from facing Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Title, so the level of brightness to her future could be increasing immediately. Less than two years deep in her pro career, she is wise beyond her years in the ring, using a solid amateur wrestling background to build on. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if she beats Jacy and gets a run as the top woman in NXT, even if it’s just for a little while.
Roxanne Perez (November 5th, 2001): When it comes to pure in-ring work, there aren’t many women on the entire WWE roster that are better than Roxanne. That’s crazy to say about someone who just celebrated their 24th birthday, but it’s the truth. She is almost being hindered by how loaded the Judgment Day roster is, though. Liv Morgan is one of the biggest female stars in all of wrestling, and Raquel Rodriguez immediately stands out and captures your attention with her look and physique. That doesn’t leave a ton of opportunities for Roxanne to shine on her own, which is why it makes sense that the company has had her teaming up with Raquel. A lot of people are expecting the Judgment Day dynamic to shift in 2026, potentially with Liv and Dom going face at some point. I’ve speculated on that, bringing up an “accidental” elimination of Liv in the Royal Rumble by Roxanne, leading up a match between the two at WrestleMania or SummerSlam down the road. I think Roxanne is on the verge of a big year, no matter what happens with the Judgment Day, though. It’s too difficult to hold that much talent back for too long.
Thea Hail (September 9th, 2003): It’s a damn shame that the biggest moment of her career to this point was marred by a botched finish that saw her win the NXT Women’s North American Title when she wasn’t supposed to. People are holding that against her, but it isn’t her fault at all. I think she would’ve reached this stage eventually, anyway. She is amazing in the underdog, “Scrappy Doo” role that she has been portraying. Live crowds have taken quite the liking to her, and I think it was only a matter of time for her. Whether NXT corrects the decision, having Blake Monroe beat her to get the title back, or runs with her as the new champion is irrelevant. I think she has arrived on the scene as someone who is a championship-worthy contender moving forward.
Je’Von Evans (April 29th, 2004): Going back decades and decades, pro wrestling has seen an insane amount of high-flying talents. All shapes, all sizes, and all skill levels. Je’Von Evans represents the new school vibe, obviously, but he also represents something else… a lack of limitations that seem to plague normal human beings. Even the most athletic of human beings is held back by this little thing called gravity. It doesn’t seem like Je’Von subscribes to those rules and theories, though. When you watch him wrestle, you see someone who seems to literally float and hover in the air, darting here and there, almost like a 6’5″, 180-pound hummingbird. He’s someone that those in charge of decision making in WWE and NXT know they can plug in and play at various places on the card, and he’s going to deliver something that blows minds and makes jaws drop. Combine that with his own brand of unique, electric personality and charisma, and you have the recipe for tremendous success. It’s happening in NXT, and it is growing on the main roster. He’s got that something special… that “it” factor… that you can’t help but be drawn to.
Billie Starkz (December 8th, 2004): It’s weird to even say this, but the first time I saw Billie Starkz wrestle, she was 15 years old. That’s the type of thing you hear about wrestlers from places like Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, not the United States. A full-fledged pro at 15? By the way, she had already been a pro for two years when I first saw her. Insane. She has seen success just about everywhere she has wrestled, including Game Changer Wrestling, Black Label Pro, and now, Ring Of Honor. She has improved so much during her RoH run, even winning the Women’s Television Title there. If there’s a concern to have, it’s that she has lost to Athena approximately 142 times over the last couple of years. Does that hurt her? Then again, who hasn’t lost to Athena over the last couple of years? I think Billie will be just fine.
Nick Wayne (July 10th, 2005): It continues to drive me nuts to see pro athletes of any type who have dates of birth that are… well… just a bit after my own date of birth. Nick isn’t even legally able to drink in the United States, and yet, he has multiple years of experience on AEW television, and has been involved in storylines that receive a good chunk of airtime. That’s still crazy to think about. He’s such a naturally gifted athlete. Unfortunately, I do think the “acting” part of pro wrestling is holding him back. His promos and especially his facial expressions are, at best, inadequate, and at worst, are actively and excessively poor. If he can work on that area of his game, and his age clearly indicates that he has plenty of time to do so, then I think he has the type of sky-high potential that has people possibly envisioning World Titles in his future.
This is when I turn things over to you. I want to know your thoughts on everything. What do you think about some of the names I’ve included here? Do you think there are any glaring omissions from the rosters of WWE, AEW, or NXT? Who are some names from outside of those rosters that you would include in your own 30 Under 30 list? As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Now, let’s get to my Weekly Power Rankings before I close things out like I always do, and that’s with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Hiroshi Tanahashi: Happy trails to one of the greatest competitors in the history of not just Japanese puroresu, but in pro wrestling as a whole. He had an absolutely legendary career, and it will be really weird to watch New Japan moving forward without seeing him wrestle.
Konosuke Takeshita vs Yota Tsuji: A fantastic, fantastic match that felt like every bit of the “big fight” Winner-Takes-All contest that it was presented as. As hard-hitting as you’re going to find. These guys went out there and beat the hell out of each other, all in the name of becoming the top guy in all of New Japan.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada: The match itself that led to Tanahashi’s retirement was a lot of fun. On a technical level, it wasn’t a classic, as Tanahashi’s body is completely broken down, but when you throw in the drama of his final match, you have something special.
AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs The Usos: A pay-per-view quality match for the World Tag Team Titles, and it got a bunch of time to work with, as well. I know some are upset that The Usos won the titles, but I don’t get the complaints. They’re amazing together, and come on… people want to see AJ as a singles competitor again, anyway.
Carmelo Hayes vs Johnny Gargano: The United States Title is on fire right now. Week after week after week after week of absolute bangers for the title, with no real end in sight.
Syuri vs Saya Kamitani: They weren’t given as much time as I would’ve preferred (New Japan had to make room for the one-hour retirement ceremony for Tanahashi, after all), but they made the most with what they had. Non-stop action from bell-to-bell, and we got to see them beat each other up for a while. Fun.
Mercedes Moné vs Willow Nightingale: A really entertaining match that continues the story of Mercedes descending into madness as she loses yet another title. Works for me.
Penta: It was good to see him back so soon, showing that his recent shoulder injury wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it could’ve been.
Jon Moxley vs Josh Alexander: It followed the usual script… Josh Alexander puts on a good performance in an AEW match, but he ends up losing. The last time he won a big-time singles match in AEW, Gerald Ford was in the White House.
Trick Williams: The Lemon Peppa Steppas. That is all.
Damian Priest vs Aleister Black: A fun end (God, I hope so, anyway) to their lengthy feud. It was never going to be a bloodbath, but a solid, physical WWE-style “hardcore” match.
Stephanie Vaquer vs Raquel Rodriguez vs Nikki Bella: The champion picked up a hard-fought victory. Raquel looked like a million bucks, and someone who can take the title in the future. Nikki Bella was also in the match.
Aaron Wolf: An Olympic Gold Medalist judoka, in his very first pro wrestling match, wins the NEVER Openweight Title on the grandest stage in all of puroresu. Helluva debut for the guy.
Andrade El Ídolo, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, Henare & Jake Lee vs Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay & Drilla Moloney: A really physical midcard match on the Wrestle Kingdom card. Nothing more, nothing less. Every show needs matches like that.
Je’Von Evans vs Ricky Saints: Nothing that will change the game, but a fun match between two of NXT’s best nonetheless.
Bandido vs The Beast Mortos: Hey, Bandido’s hot streak in the ring continues. Also hey, Mortos has a good performance in a losing effort. The expected is expected.
Randy Orton: Good to see him make his return after another multi-month break. I love that he declared he would be coming after the WWE Title soon. Everyone’s been waiting for him to do so, especially with the ready-made story he has with Cody Rhodes.
Giulia: Congratulations to the new WWE Women’s United States Champion. Here’s to hoping that her second reign with the title will be better than her first. Frankly, I don’t see how it can be much worse.
Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson: Congratulations to the brand new NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions. They won the titles in an overly convoluted match that had too much going on, much of which was missed by cameras, but hey, a title win is still a title win.
This Week’s Playlist: “Zombie” by YUNGBLUD & The Smashing Pumpkins… “A Brigand In The Bronx” by RAINEY… “Folded” by Kehlani… “All Your Friends Still Scare Me” by Dexter and The Moonrocks… “Withering Flower” by Paleface Swiss… “Death By Cupid’s Arrow” by HOKKA… “City” by Masta Killa & Jamall Ray… “Party Like A Rockstar (Remix)” by Shop Boyz, Lil Wayne & Chamillionaire… “Booti Call” by Blackstreet… “Joy” by Blackstreet… “Before I Let You Go” by Blackstreet… “Don’t Leave Me” by Blackstreet… “Think About You” by Blackstreet… “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” by Death Cab For Cutie… “Rock Steady” by The Whispers… “And The Beat Goes On” by The Whispers… “Outstanding” by The Gap Band… “I Wanna Get Next To You” by Rose Royce… “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince… “The Beautiful Ones” by Prince… “When Doves Cry” by Prince… “I Would Die 4 U” by Prince… “Purple Rain” by Prince… “Don’t Be Cruel” by Bobby Brown… “Roni” by Bobby Brown… “Rock Wit’cha” by Bobby Brown… “Every Little Step” by Bobby Brown… “To The Hellfire” by Lorna Shore… “Unbreakable” by Lorna Shore… “War Machine” by Lorna Shore
