Another year of professional wrestling is in the books. So long 2021! After COVID-19 put a halt on attendance audiences returned to arenas across the globe. It was great to hear the roar of the crowd again and it proved that the future of professional wrestling is bright.
With wrestling returning to a state of normalcy we can start looking ahead to the future. Throughout the year, there have been several newcomers to the industry that have proceeded to take the wrestling world by storm.
Helping to boost the credibility of many of the new wrestlers is their lineage. There has been a slew of 2nd generation stars who have come through the curtain over the past year. Some have shown that their ceiling is incredibly high and the professional wrestling world should be excited at their potential. Below we will take a look at NINE 2nd generation stars who are poised to break out in 2022.
Hook – AEW
Hook Hype. Send Hook. This 2nd generation star debuted on the December 10th edition of AEW Rampage, the son of the Human Suplex Machine Taz has a bright future in professional wrestling.
For starters, Hook has a fantastic presentation. The entrance music and ensuing swagger to the ring were perfect. It gave us a sense of confidence that takes years to develop.
In the ring, Hook shows an incredible move set. His suplexes are reminiscent of his father’s but he has made his tweaks to set himself apart. It is a great way to get a pop while still establishing a freshness to the moves. If AEW keeps up with this momentum, the sky is the limit for Hook going into 2022.
Teal Piper – Various Promotions
Still, green in the wrestling industry, Roddy Pipers’ daughter has a long way to go but the potential is there.
Teal has made appearances in WOW and AEW and has shown capable wrestling ability. She knows how to work and can only get better with more exposure.
What is more impressive is the younger Piper’s work on the stick. Being the daughter of one of the greatest talkers in wrestling history, Teal Piper has been exceptional on the mic, one of the better 2nd generation stars and she has developed a talk show that showcases her ability to rile the crowd up. It is something that sets her apart from most and should help to make her a huge star in 2022.
Dominik Mysterio – WWE
Getting an immediate push could have been a death sentence for the younger Mysterio. However, Dominik has shown a maturity that is well beyond his years.
From his first match with the federation, Dominik has shown an incredible work rate. His training has gone well and he has improved with every match. The experience he has gained with fans coming back has helped with his character development with him maturing in front of an audience.
It is looking like a heel turn is in the future for this 2nd generation star Dominik and this could go a long way to making him one of the most important pieces of the WWE roster.
Bron Breakker – NXT
Incase you didn’t know it, 2nd generation star and the son of the Dog-Faced Gremlin is on deck for big things in WWE. After rebranding NXT, WWE was looking for a poster boy to usher in the new era, they found that with Breakker.
Rick Steiner’s boy has been a shining star on NXT 2.0. He has a tremendous look and the presentation is one of the best in the company.
From a performance standpoint, Breakker is a great worker. His power moves are great and he is showing a maturity that it takes years to develop. He is still green in some areas but the edges will smoothen out with time.
With his “MVP of WarGames” status all over NXT programming, it is only a matter of time before Breakker becomes the face of NXT. 2022 will be the year of Bron Breakker.
Charlie Dempsey – NXT U.K
Coming to us from the North West of England and home of the Pleasure Beach is a wrestler who could be one of the best in the company. The son of William Regal, Charlie Dempsey had a fantastic debut bout against Tyler Bate. Dempsey ended up staring at the lights but we all saw the potential for greatness.
He showed the technical skill that his father had showcased years before. Although his 2nd generation status is kept low-key, you can tell that he has borrowed from his future Hall of Fame Dad, Lord Steven/William Regal.
Dempsey’s skill could be unmatched in WWE and when someone takes the time to help him work on his character he will be unstoppable. For the time being, Dempsey will hone his craft on NXT U.K. Once he develops further a call to NXT or even the main roster should be in the cards for the man from Blackpool.
Brian Pillman Jr. – AEW
Debuting in professional wrestling in 2017, Brian Pillman Jr. is slowly becoming one of the biggest stars in AEW and has the potential to be the best 2nd generation star on this list.
Pillman has shown the in-ring ability that made his father a household name. It is amazing how quickly the younger Pillman has taken to wrestling.
Coming into AEW Pillman formed the Varisty Blondes, a homage to his father’s WCW tag team. It was a great move and one that gained Pillman a ton of national exposure. Moving on to a feud with MJF was another great move and proved that Pillman was just a talented on the stick as he was in the ring.
If AEW wanted to put some weight behind Brian Pillman Jr., he could be the face of the company and one of the biggest stars of 2022.
Terrence and Terrell Hughes – Various Promotions
The twin sons of one of the greatest tag team specialists in history could have a bright 2022. TNT, debuting in dark matches with various promotions, the sons of D-von Dudley have progressed nicely. Their matches have been short, for the most part, but the potential is evident.
Few understand how to work a proper tag team match and it looks like the younger Dudley boys have it figured out. It will take some time to polish the rough edges of the team but the potential is there.
Also, being the sons of one-half of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history makes for some intriguing story-telling. The built-in backstory would be an easy way to hype up the debuting tag team to whichever company they end up in.
Von Wagner – NXT
Many might not remember the lineage of Von Wagner. The son of former WWE tag team competitor Beau Beverly, Wagner has been gaining steam as of late in NXT. Wagner has recently been engaged in a decent with Kyle O’Reilly. On his way out of NXT, O’Reilly had done the honours by making Wagner look like a stud.
It was a great introductory feud for Wagner and one that has helped to establish him as a force on NXT 2.0
The response he is getting is not an incredibly positive one but WWE can capitalize on this. With his power moveset, Wagner would be a perfect monster heel. Give him a mouthpiece and he would skyrocket to the top of NXT 2.0. Here is hoping that WWE realizes what they have with Von Wagner and how they can make him a top guy in NXT 2.0 in 2022.
Brock Anderson – AEW
The son of WCW legend, Arn Anderson is already on his way to becoming a big star for AEW. Debuting in mid-2021, Anderson has become an incredibly recognizable face on AEW programming.
Being paired with his father was a great idea but not as good as putting Anderson against Malakai Black. The contest was a fantastic one and a match that showed the potential of Anderson. The son of A. A did lose the match but his ability to hang with a seasoned veteran was a great rub for the rookie.
Moving into 2022, Brock would be an ideal candidate to fill out a stable. Acting as the enforcer for any stable would be great exposure for the young Anderson and the perfect way to push him in the new year.