The Future Is Bright: Ranking the 5 Best WWE and AEW Stars Under the Age of 25

With longtime veterans of the wrestling business such as Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho still dominating the landscape in both WWE and All Elite Wrestling, it's easy to forget that both companies have an abundance of promising young talent.

Many wrestlers under the age of 30 have bright futures, but there is a crop even younger than that who have already made their presence felt on TV in recent months. As the veterans begin to hang up their boots, both companies will need that talent in the years ahead.

With that in mind, here's a look at the best talent in both WWE and AEW under the age of 25 as of January 2020.

Humberto Carrillo is a recent addition to WWE TV, but he looks capable of being a mainstay on Raw for years to come.

The Mexican has already had some fantastic, enthralling tussles with guys like Seth Rollins and Andrade. Given the depth of talent WWE has at its disposal, the fact that Carrillo has managed to carve out a spot on Raw is impressive.

His feud with Andrade, if it continues beyond the U.S. champion's wellness policy violation, has the potential to be one of the most exciting in the company. And if Carrillo can transmit an on-screen persona and backstory to fans, he could rise even higher in the company's ranks too.

For someone who hasn't been with WWE for too long, Carrillo has made a strong start. At just 24, he's nowhere near finished, either.

AEW has already placed a lot of trust in Riho, crowning the 22-year-old the company's first women's champion late last year.

You can see why the promotion did that too. Riho is a star inside the ring, entertaining AEW audiences whenever she steps between the ropes.

Having also made huge waves in Japan during the formative stage of her career, Riho looks like a competitor who could hold up the AEW women's division for years to come.

At just 23, Rhea Ripley has exploded on to WWE TV in the past few months.

Sure, she made a pretty significant impact on NXT UK, holding the women's title there, but since she's jumped over to NXT last summer, she's shown all the signs of someone who could dominate women's wrestling for years to come.

She's not only confronted the likes of Shayna Baszler, but she's beaten her too. 

Ripley is now the flag-bearer for NXT's women's division, and the prospect of a dream match with someone such as Charlotte Flair could be on the cards.

All in all, Ripley seems to be the full package. The Australian wasn't particularly well-known to most WWE fans a year or so ago; now she's one of the hottest acts in the company.

MJF has been one of the genuine breakout stars in All Elite Wrestling since the company started airing shows last year.

The storyline surrounding his turning on Cody was well-executed and transformed the 23-year-old from the sidekick of a major player to a main eventer.

He's thrived as a heel on the mic and in the ring, and his feud with Cody shows no signs of slowing down as their showdown looms.

AEW is going to need to craft its own stars to thrive and to compete with WWE long term. Someone like MJF is a fine example of how the company seems capable of doing that.

The biggest fear surrounding Velveteen Dream's WWE career was that with a gimmick so outlandish that he would have probably never made it on either Raw or SmackDown.

Thankfully, the emergence of NXT as a brand in its own right means he's set for a huge future in the company. At just 24, few stars feel as ready-made for the main event scene on a show like NXT as Dream.

He's got charisma, personality and, as his matches against the likes of Aleister Black have showed, he can work in the ring too.

Dream will be a star of NXT for years to come.