In the wrestling industry, stars are emerging every year, who are becoming more and more popular due to their excellent performances on a regular basis and who have the potential to be megastars one day. Currently, in AEW, there are some wrestlers on the rise, who are hungry for greatness and will do their best to reach and establish themselves at the top of the mountain.
Some of those AEW wrestlers are so talented and have so much potential, that it seems impossible for them to fail, they seem destined for greatness. However, there are others who have some flaws, and despite their talent, they may not live up to expectations. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at five rising AEW stars who are destined for greatness and five who won’t live up to the hype.
10 Destined For Greatness: Konosuke Takeshita
Konosuke Takeshita is one of the most talented wrestlers in AEW today and the fans love him. In 2021 many fans had no idea who he was, but since 2022 he has had several amazing matches in AEW and has earned the love and admiration of the fans.
His in-ring skills are simply phenomenal, and he is very charismatic. Takeshita is only 28 years old, so in theory he hasn’t reached his peak, which makes us think this guy is destined for greatness.
9 Won’t Live Up To The Hype: Wheeler Yuta
Since the brutal match against Jon Moxley on the April 8, 2022, episode of AEW Rampage, Wheeler Yuta captured the attention of fans. Since then, he has had several excellent performances, showing that he has matured a lot inside the ring despite being only 26 years old.
Yuta has a lot of potential, but he is not very charismatic and his promo skills are average at best, so, although fans enjoy his matches, it is difficult to connect with him as a character. That’s precisely why Yuta won’t live up to the hype.
8 Destined For Greatness: Hook
Hook was a sensation when he made his AEW debut. Admittedly, though, he cooled off in the last few months and some fans lost interest in him. Does this mean that Hook is a failure? Of course not. This kid is only 24 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop his skills and reach his potential.
Hook has the IT factor, he has a superstar aura and is very charismatic, and he also has good in-ring skills. So, Hook seems destined for greatness, he just needs to develop his character with good stories.
7 Won’t Live Up To The Hype: Ricky Starks
Ricky Starks is a very charismatic wrestler, with a lot of style, good promo skills, and good in-ring skills. Overall, he is a great worker, but he is not among the best in any aspect, and that is why he is constantly overshadowed.
Starks is 33 years old, and it looks like the best is yet to come for him, but he is not a generational talent like some fans think he is.
6 Destined For Greatness: Jamie Hayter
Jamie Hayter is arguably the best female wrestler on the AEW roster right now. She has been on the rise for the past few months, she managed to become the AEW Women’s World Champion, and she was over, but unfortunately, she got injured and dropped the title.
Hayter is a brilliant in-ring performer, and she has the potential to rule the AEW women’s division (or any promotion women’s division) for several years, which means, she is destined for greatness.
5 Won’t Live Up To The Hype: Toni Storm
The hype for Toni Storm has been sky-high since she was in NXT UK. She was unable to reach her potential in WWE, but now in AEW she is flourishing and is already a two-time AEW Women’s World Champion. People expect big things from Storm, as she will be just 28 years old in October and has the potential to be a superstar.
However, she probably won’t live up to the hype, because, truth be told, she has not improved her in-ring skills much in the last five years, and she is not a good talker either, so her prime may not be as great as people expect.
4 Destined For Greatness: Daniel Garcia
Daniel Garcia will turn 25 years old in September, and he has already had several epic matches, such as the Best Two-Out-Of-Three Falls match against Bryan Danielson, his match versus Konosuke Takeshita in PWG or his matches against Wheeler Yuta.
Can you imagine how talented Garcia is going to be in 10 years? He has the potential to be the next Bryan Danielson (but not that charismatic). So, Daniel Garcia is destined for greatness.
3 Won’t Live Up To The Hype: Jack Perry
Jack Perry (formerly known as Jungle Boy) was a fan favorite a few months ago, and many said he would be the face of AEW sooner rather than later. Perry is still a rising star, but he has cooled off in recent months, at least in terms of popularity, because fans are realizing that he is not living up to the hype.
Perry is just 26 years old, so in theory he can still improve a lot until he reaches his peak, but considering his physical condition and his mic skills, Perry may never be more than a mid-card wrestler.
2 Destined For Greatness: MJF
If there is a rising AEW star who is destined for greatness, it is MJF. This 27-year-old has the potential to become an all-time great. He is extremely charismatic, his character work is second to none, he is arguably the best talker in the world, and his wrestling skills are excellent as well.
MJF has everything it takes to achieve greatness, that’s for sure.
1 Won’t Live Up To The Hype: Dante Martin
Dante Martin is one of AEW’s most impressive wrestlers, as his high-flying style is mind-blowing and he is just 22 years old. This kid could become one of the best high-flyers of all time, so high are the expectations.
However, if he’s not careful and keeps taking unnecessary risks, his career could end sooner than expected. Also, fans are likely to get bored with him if he doesn’t develop his character and his mic skills.