The time is now for WWE’s youth movement to truly begin | Column
The following is opinion-based and reflects that of the author and not our website.
It’s customary in professional wrestling promotions to start early when elevating young talent. All-Japan Pro Wrestling did so in the 1990s with the Four Pillars of Heaven. New Japan Pro Wrestling has achieved this with three iterations of the Three Musketeers and through the development of Kazuchika Okada. In fact, their Young Lion system is for the sole purpose of priming young talent.
Recently, an image circulated on social media comparing the ages of WWE wrestlers in 2025 to those on the 2000 roster. Most of the wrestlers in the current main event picture are in their late 30s to their late 40s. Juxtaposed with 2000, it’s a considerable gap. For instance, The Rock and Big Show were in their late 20s, whereas the oldest was Steve Austin at 36. The 2000’s oldest are younger than 2025’s youngest, who was Gunther.
Though this is a broad overview, it’s symptomatic of a larger issue with WWE. Since the late 2010s, WWE has been hesitant in creating young stars who could generate money through rivalries and spectacular matches. Despite recent improvements following the regime change this decade, it seems that there are inconsistencies and gaps in what should be a melting pot of generations in WWE’s main roster.
When WWE Got it Right
Every so often, WWE would cultivate newer generations of wrestlers as previous iterations aged out. In the early ’90s, the roster included young Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Razor Ramon and Diesel. In the 2000s, the OVW class of John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar, Shelton Benjamin and Randy Orton found its footing. Even in the 2010s, The Shield and Wyatt Family highlighted who WWE wanted in the big picture as its future.
What these eras mean is that WWE understands there’s an importance in fostering later generations, just not when. For example, the Attitude Era only propelled WWE back into a boom period when they needed to move with the most popular stars from Austin to The Rock to Kurt Angle. When WCW forced Vince McMahon’s hand during those iconic 83 weeks, he had to reinvent so many ways in which he operated.
Through the merit of hungry talent competing to be the top dog, WWE prospered, eventually leaving WCW in the dust. Although, there’s a lot that factored into the outcome of the Monday Night Wars. That aside, if WWE could make the New Generation and Ruthless Aggression wrestlers become household names once before, they can do it again.
In fact, the WWE’s women’s division is an exception to the main roster product. There are already huge young stars. Roxanne Perez, Rhea Ripley, Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia are in their 20s to early 30s while talent beyond that range are still allowed to be in their notable spots. Now, stars are easily made in that division, while others can still hold their spots and help pass the torch when needed.
Pulling the Trigger
For the men’s roster, they haven’t been so lucky. Bron Breakker is already a huge star, but lacks that “umph” which could propel him higher. Following The Vision’s betrayal of Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel, he should have become a huge star instantly. That’s the moment you observe what landed in your lap. You pivot. Deliver something unpredictable that can utterly transform a talent overnight.
Instead, the following week, he was cost a spot in a battle royal to determine who would face CM Punk for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. That should have been the spot to pull the trigger and instantly have someone feel like a megastar. Not every big plan has to wait until WrestleMania.
Similarly, Carmelo Hayes has toiled uncomfortably long after a grand series of matches against Andrade and a meandering program with The Miz. Back in NXT, Hayes was the top star in the men’s division, probably one of the best since the days of Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole.
The hesitancy to pull the trigger at the right moment will cost WWE dearly when their top talents age out and there are few wrestlers left to fill their spots.
The Future is Now
CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton will inevitably step away from the squared circle. John Cena and AJ Styles are already wrapping up their time in the limelight with their retirements looming at the time of this writing. Time is running out.
If they want to focus on the main roster, stars like Ilja Dragunov, Ludwig Kaiser and Rey Fenix can get an early start and easily fill those slots. NXT talent can also provide some additional substance to a main roster call-up. They could all readily take the torch passed to them and create an exciting future for WWE while also maintaining depth in the undercard. NXT is there for that reason whether it’s indie darlings traipsing into the Performance Center or new prospects like the NIL recruits.
With current champions CM Punk (World Heavyweight), John Cena (Intercontinental), and AJ Styles (World Tag Team) at a combined 140+ years old, the opportunity for more junior talent is there. Seizing gold from a huge name in the industry can alter a fresh talent’s trajectory rather speedily. That would be almost like if Batista or Orton ended the Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak in the 2000s.
The Show Must Go On
It’s not as though fresh blood isn’t at the forefront of some of WWE’s biggest angles. Ripley remains one of the women’s division’s most recognizable stars with Stephanie Vaquer and Dominik Mysterio trailing closely behind, all three in their 20s. Bron Breakker is already in high gear, but is still far from reaching his full current potential. 28-year-old Maxxine Dupri’s year-long visible improvement culminated in her becoming Women’s Intercontinental Champion on last week’s Raw.
WWE will soon need drawing attractions that aren’t nostalgia pops. It pains me to say that as I must admit that I do genuinely love seeing the wrestlers I grew up watching still performing. But it’s time to paint the picture of the future. Holding back right now runs the risk of wrestlers not getting as over as they would have been the moment the iron should have been struck.
The audience wants to care. They want to invest. Don’t dangle the keys for too long, and don’t wait for some big PLE. Keep fans on their toes and leave them salivating to tune in before it’s too late.
Whether in a developmental role or jumping from another promotion, the way WWE positions newly-acquired wrestlers matters. For the company, finding out which talent can sink or swim makes all the difference for their bottom line.
As a fan, I’d love to see this type of development. One aspect that I love about AEW is that Tony Khan’s promotion has already created momentum for his young wrestlers. Most of their big stars are in their 20s and early 30s. They got over with the AEW crowds, and some have even won gold.
For a period, WWE almost shared this perspective on talent. After decades of squandering indie darlings and other promising prospects from the previous regime, the Paul Levesque era seemed optimistic in this regard. Instead, the company appears to be resting on its laurels, not bringing that same fiery energy seen from 2022-24.
I’m not declaring that the company must have young blood at the top of the card at all times, just that WWE needs to invest in fresher faces early to prepare for when their current biggest names step away.
Their time is now.
Corey Michaels covers the play-by-play action of events hosted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Referenced by content creators and Wikipedia articles, he adds his prosaic voice with authority to the F4W/WON audience.
A content writer and wrestling fan, Corey has woven the stories of our great sport into literature. He cuts to the emotional core of characters, rivalries, and angles.