As shows strongly rely on their tried and trusted old guard, I find it refreshing to take a look at the next generation. This is a sequel to New Blood Rising I (March ’16) & II (June ’17); which looked at wrestlers under the age of 30. Those who were listed in I & II will not be included here (Noam Dar, Velveteen Dream, Pete Dunne etc). If you’re interested you can see them at the following links: I – II
1. Bandido (23)
He’s an enigma. Not much is known about this man .. but what I do know, is he makes one hell of a luchador. We’ve seen many luchadors rise & fall, but Bandido is something different. The way he springs around the ring is reminiscent of Sabu in his prime, yet he’s made the style his own by adding moves which benefit highly from flash photography.
He’s a highlight reel worthy of starring on any show, and it almost feels tragic he’s not more known. Luckily I watched All In earlier this year and got to see him working the main event with Fenix & Rey Mysterio as his tag partners. It’s only a matter of time til ROH, Impact, or even WWE come knocking on his door.
2. Deonna Purrazzo (24)
“The Virtuosa”. She is a technical wrestler with a methodical style. Her offense is designed to set up opponents for the Fujiwara Armbar submission hold. Deonna’s focused on this to stand out as being “meticulous” with her ring craft. While impressive, it kinda sucks there’s too many using the special these days. She may be forced to change it up down the line. But what’s most important is WWE’s used her on main roster TV as early as 2014; which shows how professional she is.
Time away from WWE gained Purrazzo a lot of experience around the world (runs with Impact’s Knockouts Division and ROH’s Women Of Honor) before being signed to NXT after competing in the Mae Young Classic. She’s really improved in the ring, but there’s a question mark over her charisma. Her time in NXT is vital, as they work to make her more of a character. Whatever happens, Deonna will always find work as she’s up for any challenge.
3. Jordynn Grace (22)
“Thick Momma Pump” has already made a name for herself in the wrestling world. Having worked professionally since 2012, Jordynn has proved she can work with anybody. Her hard work earned a place in the “All In” PPV battle royal as the only woman in a match full of men; she lasted a long time and eliminated a few as well!
She’s the kind of woman who could do a “9th Wonder of the World” and cross over. The most important thing is she keeps improving her ring craft and promos to ensure she’s more than someone who can lift and throw opponents around.
As the latest addition to the Impact Knockouts Division, champion Tessa Blanchard and the rest should be wary. Commentator Don Callis described her as being like the “ECW Rhino” of the division. Pretty big compliment, and being compared to former WCW/ECW legends shows the potential. It’s early days, so I’m not expecting her to win the title yet.
3. Kiera Hogan (24)
Considering Kiera’s a mainstay on Impact Wrestling with less than three years wrestling experience speaks volumes. The least experienced of the division is improving and she’s got no choice if she wants to compete with Tessa Blanchard, Su Yung, Jordynn Grace, and her best friend Allie. Rosemary may be back soon as well, so she’ll get the chance to prove she belongs. But first .. she’s got to save Allie from the clutches of James Mitchell and Su Yung.
4. Lio Rush (24)
“The Man Of The Hour”. I believe he’s doing his job really well. The “Lashley, Lashley” chant is somehow even more obnoxious than fans chanting “what!?” at the undeserving. His management style reminds me of Jimmy Hart, except Jimmy couldn’t run anywhere near as fast.
Some fans may only know the manager side as they’ve never seen him on 205 Live, NXT, or Ring Of Honor. He’s an athlete, and can’t be underestimated. He’s one of the quickest I’ve ever seen. He can do it all. WWE doesn’t want to push him into matches on Raw, not yet. One day he will, but for the time being he’s a benefit to Lashley who’s rarely up for talking. As Lio says, he’s money .. he smells of money, and nothing’s going to stop him.
5. Rhea Ripley (22)
My first impression of Rhea? She’s “The Bruiserweight” of the women’s division. She’s rude and refuses to respect her opponents, and I like it. She started her career in 2013, and worked up the ranks in Riot City Wrestling to become a 2-time champion. She spent four years with Riot City til WWE called her up for the first Mae Young Classic. She wasn’t successful in the first, but in this years she reached the semi-finals thanks to her new attitude. The Australian-born is yet another to represent Aussies like Billie Kay and Peyton Royce. And I would not be surprised if she joined forces with The IIconics down the road as their enforcer. Til then, she’s going to dominate the NXT UK women’s division.
6. Taynara Conti (23)
She’s been with WWE a couple years in the Performance Center, and has improved considerably. I feel bad when Taynara loses, because she’s a black belt in judo and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu; made worse because she displays her black belt proudly before the match. She’s intense, and has the fiery passion Brazilians like F1 legend Ayrton Senna were known for.
And as far as I know .. there’s never been a famous Brazilian wrestler, so she has the weight of a nation on her shoulders. Can Conti become a superstar? Personally, I think she has what it takes .. but it all hinges on if she can talk. It depends how far she wants to go with that side of her game. As we know, the competition is fierce and there’s always a chance she might not make it.
7. David Finlay Jr. (25)
Yet to see him wrestle, but having seen so many of his Father’s matches I have no doubt he’ll be a force if he keeps clean and healthy. Having spent the last few years in New Japan Pro Wrestling, he’s in the best place to master his craft. Fit Finlay set the bar for his son to reach, and he’s getting there according to what I’ve heard from fans. WWE sure loves to push 2nd and 3rd generation superstars, so it’s up to him to find the door to opportunity.
8. Tessa Blanchard (23)
I’ve covered her career extensively since making the jump to the Knockouts Division, and I’m convinced she’ll be fighting the likes of Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch before we know it. I can’t see WWE putting her back in NXT, it will likely be a straight call up. They could get Tully involved as well, as Tessa vs. Charlotte causes tension between him and former stablemate Ric Flair. But til then, Tessa needs to make a convincing portfolio, and what better way to do so than to dominate the Knockouts Division? Or will she not have enough in the bag to withstand the brute force of Jordynn Grace?
9. Toni Storm (23)
I’m not quite sure what it is about Toni Storm. I got to give it to her, she’s had so much hype for a few years, and her winning this years Mae Young Classic means management’s high on her potential. I’ve yet to see her be anything but herself. Is it because she’s so genuine? Struggling to figure out her appeal at the moment, but I cannot deny she’s great in the ring. WWE will bring her up to the main roster when the time is right, and til then she’s gotta’ keep doing what she does. Don’t mean to sound like I’m insulting Toni, she’s earned everything she’s worked for. Some storylines in NXT would be great to see.
10. Xia Brookside (20)
The daughter of former UK wrestler and NXT Trainer Robbie Brookside is likely to do more than her Dad ever did. And that’s not an insult to Robbie, but I’m sure even he would agree that Xia is a natural talent who will succeed if given the right experiences. Her bubbly personality and contagious smile is well suited for WWE’s main brands; I think she and Bayley would make a good team. Xia still looks incredibly young though, and there’s a lot to learn. I give her a few years at least, before we can consider her a title holder in WWE.
I should put some other mentions here in the conclusion. I asked our Facebook readers how many wrestlers they could name who were 25 years or younger. We got a few responses, with some I’ve never heard of, or have heard of but not had the time to see yet. Here’s the names our followers provided (some ages unknown) who were not included in New Blood Rising III, nor the previous two entries linked at the start: Dezmond Xavier, Dragon Bane of AAA, Kyle Richards, Dragon Lee (23), Kuwato of NJPW, Kobe Durst, Brian Pillman Jr, Millie McKenzie, Danny Jones and Dani Luna.
Can the next generation take it to the old? Are they strong enough to kick them out? Are there any glaring omissions? Leave a comment with who you think has the potential to make it over the next decade or two. As always, thanks for reading.
