The current top WWE superstars cannot stay at the pinnacle forever. There will come a time when the likes of Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Jey Uso will have to pass the torch and make way for the new crop of top talent. Recent storylines and decisions have already begun setting the stage for that next generation to take over. Here’s a look at the potential top five stars in the WWE men’s division five years from now (note: only current WWE stars who will be 40 or younger in 2030 qualifiy for this list).
The dogs should continue barking over the next handful of years. Bron Breakker is in a position to become one of the top WWE superstars, and perhaps even the face of Raw. The former Intercontinental Champion is now, for lack of a better term, the right-hand man of Seth Rollins. That is the same path that former WWE champions such as HHH, Randy Orton, and The Rock took before ultimately cementing their spots at the top.
Last week on Raw, Reigns all but confirmed that Breakker will be one of the faces of the industry. While confronting him, along with Paul Heyman and Bronson Reed, Roman warned Bron of what Heyman would do when that time comes.
He’s about to do the same thing to you as he did to me. Because in a few years, when you’re the man around here, he’s gon’ take all the credit.
Bron, of course, refuted that, saying he knows Paul won’t stab him in the back because of his value. Difficult to believe, however, as he turned his back on his best friend in Punk, and arguably one of the most valuable stars in WWE history, in Roman.
Look up the definition of intensity in the dictionary, there should be a picture of The Samoan Werewolf, Jacob Fatu, next to it. That intensity, along with his explosiveness, unique athleticism, and microphone skills, has quickly made Fatu a fan favorite in a short amount of time. That was the case even before turning on his cousin, Solo Sikoa, at Money In The Bank. That highly anticipated turn made Jacob even more beloved by the WWE universe.
Now that he is no longer a member of Solo’s Bloodline, Jacob will look to continue blazing his path to the top of the WWE industry. The first step will be attempting to regain the United States Championship versus Sikoa in a Steel Cage match at SummerSlam. That could serve as a huge turning point in Fatu’s young career and catapult him to the top of the SmackDown roster.
From enforcer to the leader of his version of The Bloodline, Sikoa has come into his own since joining the main roster three years ago. He has not only been able to showcase his brawling ability, which earned him the nickname “The Street Champion,” but also his charisma and improved promo skills, with more opportunities to shine. This version is arguably the most confident and calculated version of Solo to date.
Having his MFT (My Family Tree) faction behind him now will only help in the continued rise to the top of WWE for Solo. They will surely find a way to be involved in the aforementioned Steel Cage match against Jacob. While Fatu now has a new ally in his cousin, and Solo’s older brother, Jimmy Uso, MFT still controls the numbers game. Perhaps another Fatu will become an ally to Jacob and Jimmy, helping to even the odds. The rivalry between Solo and Jacob promises to be an exciting ride as they vie for the top spot.
Dominik Mysterio has more than earned his spot on the WWE roster over the past few years. As the son of Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio, many felt that Dominik’s rise was heavily due to nepotism rather than merit. He was well aware of that, and it served as motivation to continue grinding night in and night out. In 2023, Dirty Dom competed in 106 matches, finishing second only to Cody Rhodes with 113.
Mysterio received his biggest payoff to date at this year’s WrestleMania. He defeated Bron Breakker, Penta, and fellow Judgement Day member Finn Balor in a Fatal Four-Way to win his first Intercontinental Championship. Balor had just delivered a Coup de Grâce on Bron and looked to be on his way to victory. As Finn went for the pinfall, Mysterio came soaring from the top rope with a frog splash on Balor and secured the title. That victory could have been the beginning of a special singles run for Dominik, as he continues his rise towards the top of the Raw roster.
Montez Ford has had spurts of singles competition in the past. In 2023, he competed in the Elimination Chamber match for the United States Championship after defeating Elias in a qualifying match two weeks prior. Ford had a great showing in the competition, eliminating Bronson Reed and Damian Priest in the process. He would ultimately come up short, however, being pinned by Austin Theory (the winner of the match) after receiving a stomp from Rollins. Montez has not had much singles competition since, but he has seen plenty of success as a multiple-time tag-team champion with Angelo Dawkins, as a member of the Street Profits.
Last year, Ford’s wife, Bianca Belair, mentioned (via The Ringer Wrestling Show) that he is ready for a singles run but feels guilty when thinking about it.
Yeah, I mean, he’s ready, he is ready. He loves being in a tag team. Dawks is like his brother, and sometimes, he goes back-and-forth. He’s ready, then he gets guilty. He feels guilty because he’s like, ‘That’s my brother. I should wanna do as much as I can in this tag team’ But he’s ready.
Ford looks ready to step into the spotlight as a singles competitor. He has the in-ring ability, athleticism, style, microphone skills, and charisma. Montez knows how to play to the crowd and entertain, and can also flip the switch to show that killer instinct when needed. The path to a single’s run could potentially be very intriguing. The WWE could put Ford and Dawkins on different shows, or perhaps, a heel turn for one of the Profits.
Needless to say, this was a difficult list to compile, as there will be more than five superstars deserving of those top spots in the future. Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes, Austin Theory, and Oba Femi are a handful of other up-and-coming superstars that I considered. Hayes and Theory, however, have been M.I.A. as of late, which gives the talent on this list the edge as of now. With Williams and Femi, it was simply a matter of them not being on the main roster yet. Things could very well change as stories evolve, but for now, these are the five that I’m predicting to carry the torch once the passing of it occurs.
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