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ESPN’s Best Wrestlers Under 30 List Puts WWE Star In Top Spot Over MJF

WWE Dominik Mysterio Rhea Ripley MJF AEW

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.

  1. Dominik Mysterio
  2. MJF
  3. Toni Storm
  4. Rhea Ripley
  5. Mariah May
  6. Konosuke Takeshita
  7. Jack Perry
  8. Kyle Fletcher
  9. Daniel Garcia
  10. Shota Umino
  11. Bron Breakker
  12. Kaito Kiyomiya
  13. El Hijo del Vikingo
  14. Kris Statlander
  15. Austin Theory
  16. Jordynne Grace
  17. HOOK
  18. Tiffany Stratton
  19. Mascara Dorada
  20. Roxanne Perez
  21. Wheeler Yuta
  22. Logan Paul
  23. Yuma Aoyagi
  24. Gabe Kidd
  25. Utami Hayashishita
  26. Julia Hart
  27. Jamie Hayter
  28. Shun Skywalker
  29. Dragon Lee
  30. Yuma Anzai