A ranking of 13 WWE and All Elite Wrestling stars under 30 frames the next wave of talent both companies have reportedly been building behind the scenes. Even when they are not yet working main-event slots, several fresh faces have either stacked résumés early or shown signs they could break out with the right booking. MJF, Konosuke Takeshita, and Trick Williams are all 30 or older, yet they may still belong in the broader next-generation conversation because of their skill and remaining runway.
Barring career-ending injuries or exceptionally poor booking, the names on the list appear positioned to take over professional wrestling sooner rather than later. The following entries reflect the order presented in the ranking spotlight.
- Zayda Steel (Age: 22; previous promotions: WWE, MLW, ROH). WWE reportedly moved to lock Steel to a WWE ID contract in late 2024 after buzz she generated in MLW and on the independents. She did not renew that developmental deal in 2025, with limited WWE usage appearing to be a primary factor. Steel quickly shifted to AEW and Ring of Honor, where she became a weekly fixture. She started in enhancement roles before joining SkyFlight as the newest member, replacing the injured Leila Grey. In roughly the last month, she has branched out on her own and received shots at both the ROH Women's World Television Championship and the ROH Women's World Championship, including a main-event opportunity for the latter at Supercard of Honor. In-ring work reads as adequate, while her microphone work is where she tends to stand out. That early "it" factor could keep her on the watch list.
- Blake Monroe (formerly Mariah May; previous promotions: AEW, Stardom). Monroe's AEW run lasted only about a year and a half, but it included a heavily featured rivalry with Toni Storm, an Owen Hart Cup win, and a six-month reign as AEW Women's World champion. She arrived in NXT in the summer of 2025 with fanfare and quickly established herself as a threat by betraying Jordynne Grace. She also held the NXT Women's North American Championship briefly, though a main-roster move appeared likely. She was called up to SmackDown after WrestleMania 42, but as of this writing she has not made a formal blue-brand debut outside of one backstage segment. Her character may be a natural WWE fit, and her in-ring skill could help her make a quick impact on SmackDown's women's division.
- Megan Bayne (previous promotions: Stardom, GCW). Bayne built independent-scene momentum for years before debuting in AEW at the start of 2025. She was presented as an unstoppable force and within months was challenging Toni Storm for the AEW Women's World Championship. She suffered her first defeat at Dynasty and needed time to rebound, but she is back near the front of the division alongside newcomer Lena Kross. Operating as The Divine Dominion, the duo has held the AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship since Revolution in March, when they took the twin titles from The Babes of Wrath. They have retained through multiple teams and reportedly set record-fast retention times on several occasions. Once that tag run ends, Bayne could return to singles contention.
Diehards tracking both rosters will likely keep circling back to this under-30 tier as WWE and AEW continue pushing younger names toward title pictures and weekly TV spotlight.
