ESPN’s Best Wrestlers Under 30 List Puts WWE Star In Top Spot Over MJF
A listing of the best wrestlers under 30 years old has gone with a big-time WWE star in the top spot instead of former AEW World Champion MJF.
When ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports, presented their inaugural list of the best wrestlers under the age of 30 in 2023, they went with former AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman in the top spot.
Since MJF missed several months in 2024 due to injury and movie commitments, it’s understandable to remove him from the top of the list even though he’s the youngest and longest-reigning AEW World Champion in company history.
In 2024, ESPN’s top 30 rankings featured a WWE name in the top spot. While the 28-year-old former WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley may come to mind first, the ESPN website went with the 27-year-old Dominik Mysterio of The Judgment in the top spot.
A team of ESPN reporters made their choices and this is what writer Andreas Hale had to say about Dominik in the top spot.
“The son of the legendary luchador Rey Mysterio has become the ultimate heat magnet in pro wrestling. From his mullet and cartoon villain mustache, to his dastardly relationship with Liv Morgan, which only amplified the hate, Mysterio has cemented himself into a full-blown heel in an era where there are far too many “cool” bad guys.
He’s easy to hate but has quietly improved his in-ring skills to match his persona. He has become a constant presence on WWE television who never wears out his welcome. Instead, showering him with deafening boos has become the best part of the show for most.”
During his WWE career so far, Dominik Mysterio has been a Tag Team Champion on the main roster and also the NXT North American Champion. However, he has yet to win singles gold on the main roster.
What Other WWE And AEW Wrestlers Made ESPN’s Top 30 Wrestlers Under The Age Of 30 List?
In addition to the aforementioned, Dominik, MJF and Ripley (who is at #4 this year after being #2 last year), several current AEW champions are in the top 10 including Mariah May, Konosuke Takeshita, and Daniel Garcia. Former AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm comes in at #3.
When it comes to WWE superstars, they surprisingly don’t have any wrestlers in the top ten other than Dominik and Rhea. The Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker is at #11, while Miss Money in the Bank Tiffany Stratton is at #18.
The full list of 30 is below.
- Dominik Mysterio
- MJF
- Toni Storm
- Rhea Ripley
- Mariah May
- Konosuke Takeshita
- Jack Perry
- Kyle Fletcher
- Daniel Garcia
- Shota Umino
- Bron Breakker
- Kaito Kiyomiya
- El Hijo del Vikingo
- Kris Statlander
- Austin Theory
- Jordynne Grace
- HOOK
- Tiffany Stratton
- Mascara Dorada
- Roxanne Perez
- Wheeler Yuta
- Logan Paul
- Yuma Aoyagi
- Gabe Kidd
- Utami Hayashishita
- Julia Hart
- Jamie Hayter
- Shun Skywalker
- Dragon Lee
- Yuma Anzai