We here at Voices of Wrestling have brought together an all-star panel to create the most comprehensive 30 Under 30 list in wrestling for 2025.
Inspired by the critically acclaimed FSM 50, our goal is to create a comprehensive and well-informed list. Our diverse panel consists of experts with deep knowledge of various wrestling styles from around the world, including American television wrestling, lucha libre, deathmatch, joshi, and more.
This year, every wrestler under the age of thirty was eligible for inclusion on the list.
We’ve separated our list into several parts. This is Part II. Part 1, featuring Honorable Mentions and all wrestlers who received votes, is here. The final piece, revealing Nos. 15-1, will be posted tomorrow (Friday, June 6).
The 2025 VOW 30 Under 30: #30-16
Without further ado, here are the 30 best wrestlers under 30:
#30 Mad Dog Connelly
Age: 29
Years Active: 7
Promotion: Freelancer
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: N/A
Highest Panel Ranking: 11
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“Modern wrestling lacks grit. Everything is so overproduced and there’s a polish from in-ring work to promos to the way people post on social media. Mad Dog Connelly is the exact opposite of what you can find in wrestling nowadays. He’s brutal, he’s explosive, he’s the living embodiment of the “fuck you” feeling in wrestling. As the American independent scene slowly goes back to a territorial feel, Mad Dog is bouncing around each place like an old school violent heel. He oozes confidence and he will beat up your favourite wrestler within an inch of their life.” – Griffin Peltier
“An absolute violent monster. The current king of the vibes wrestlers.” – Kelly Harrass
“Is there anyone better with the dog collar match than Connelly?” – Tyler Forness
#29 – Callum Newman
Age: 22
Years Active: 6
Promotion: New Japan Pro Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: IWGP Tag Team Champion
Highest Panel Ranking: 8
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“Poor Callum Newman, he got way too much criticism for a young talented wrestler trying to make it. He’s consistently improved since his run in the G1 and not to my surprise turned in a great performance challenging Hirooki Goto for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. I think he’s going to prove even more people wrong over the next year.” – Gerard Di Trolio
“Will get every opportunity to succeed in NJPW, and seems like he might be on the fast track to stardom after getting a world title shot thrown his way earlier this year. Newman had a strong showing against Hirooki Goto in that contest, and more experience in NJPW should help him hone his considerable physical gifts, as it has for so many other wrestlers who have spent significant time in the company.” – Jesse Collings
#28 – Ryohei Oiwa
Age: 26
Years Active: 3
Promotion: New Japan Pro Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: N/A
Highest Panel Ranking: 7
Last Year’s Ranking: 28
“Ryohei Oiwa is a really interesting guy to rank in that I thought he looked way more like a future star *before* he came back to NJPW from his weird NOAH excursion. That might be more than a little damning of the way NJPW books young guys, but I also just don’t think his in ring has looked quite as impressive as it did in NOAH either. Perhaps he just needs a little more time to get his feet under him here, and a little less time spent failing in challenges for every midcard Shin Nihon belt ever invented. Still, at only 26 years old (pretty damn young by NJPW standards, especially when you remember that both Tsuji & Uemura are already over 30) and a guy who’s shown plenty of flashes before, Oiwa still has a lot of time to reach his potential.” – John Carroll
“Oiwa was greatly improved in his NOAH excursion, meaning NOAH did better for a New Japan prospect than their own Kiyomiya. Anyway, Oiwa is a great worker who has a great path to being a force in New Japan’s main event scene.” – Fred Morlan
“Come on, let’s light this candle.” – Warren Hayes
#27 – Yuma Aoyagi
Age: 29
Years Active: 10
Promotion: All Japan Pro Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: Triple Crown Champion, AJPW World Tag Team Champion, AJPW TV Six Man Tag Team Champion
Highest Panel Ranking: 9
Last Year’s Ranking: 8
“Aoyagi is a great worker with charisma. That should be enough for him to be the successor to Kento Miyahara in All Japan, but the arrival of Anzai and the Saitos has called that into question in the short and long term. But he’s still a blast and is a great 1B to have on your long term depth chart.” – Fred Morlan
#26 – Hologram
Age: 26
Years Active: 15
Promotion: All Elite Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: GALLI Indiscutible Champion
Highest Panel Ranking: 4
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“With no singles losses on AEW it is clear there are plans for Hologram in the future. Its not super uncommon for a luchador to already have 15 years of experience at age 26 but it sure still is impressive. The fact that AAA did nothing major with Aramis is another damning indictment of not knowing the value of your workers, nothing super new for modern AAA. The past is in the past and his current situation is much more exciting. Hologram has a steady rival in The BEast Mortos within AEW, the two can always be counted on for a great match together. Additionally, with the door now opened for CMLL matchups more opportunities are on the horizon. Hologram’s performance alongside Komander at CMLL’s Homenaje a Dos Leyendas this year was just about as perfect of a debut as you could have in Arena Mexico. Good times ahead for Hologram.” – Foos
#25 – Adam Priest
Age: 29
Years Active: 8
Promotion: Freelancer
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: DPW World Champion, DPW National Champion, Scenic City Invitational Tournament 2024 Winner
Highest Panel Ranking: 7
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“Adam Priest is your favourite wrestler’s favourite wrestler. Priest is a solid technician who can adapt to work any style when and as needed. His work in DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling has catapulted him into one of the best on the indie scene as of this moment and his work as National champion elevated that belt. You know you’re getting a great match if you see Priest’s name on the card. I’m not sure how well his gimmick will translate to the top two when he inevitably gets signed but I have confidence in his ability that he’ll knock it out of the park. Roll tide!” – Griffin Peltier
#24 – Madoka Kikuta
Age: 25
Years Active: 4
Promotion: Dragongate
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: N/A
Highest Panel Ranking: 9
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“Madoka Kikuta lost a lot of clout when his Open the Dream Gate run in 2023 didn’t live up to the hype. In the build to him winning the title, he looked like a total world-beater and the type of babyface that would go to war for the company that he worked for. Following a series of questionable booking patterns, Kikuta’s biggest matches of his title reign fell flat. He spent the first half of 2024 quietly putting in solid efforts on Dragongate’s undercard, but it wasn’t until August of last year when he once again turned up the heat and dished out a classic against YAMATO. Since then, Kikuta has worked like a man who has regained his confidence and found his edge. He did great work as Yuki Yoshioka’s foil in the D’Courage civil war earlier this year, and the early returns on his heel turn have been nothing short of stellar. Kikuta has accomplished nearly every huge feat that Dragongate has to offer and he’s still only 25. He also proved that if need be, he can crush it in other promotions, as he had an incredibly strong output in this year’s Champion Carnival, notably against Yuma Anzai. Kikuta is one of wrestling’s best no-nonsense heavyweight sluggers and has once again returned to being a central figure in Dragongate.” – Case Lowe
“I don’t think I would have had Kikuta in my top 20 before his heel turn at Dead or Alive, but it’s really shown aside of his wrestling we hadn’t really seen before: an absolute dead eye killer dismantling the roster. Kikuta already had shown a lot of the positive attributes in 2023 & 2024 that made him such a strong wrestler under the age of thirty, but this necessary edge puts him at a different level. I had serious questions with him as a top of the card figure after his middling Dream Gate run’s booking, however this past month completely nullified them in my mind.” – Mike Spears
#23 – Francesco Akira
Age: 25
Years Active: 9
Promotion: New Japan Pro Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: N/A
Highest Panel Ranking: 6
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“Akira has hit pretty much every benchmark put in front of him since he was first brought in as a young boy in AJPW. Now a NJPW staple for a number of years, he’s been probably the best performer in the junior tag division since he began tagging with TJP and anything other than a significant singles push over the next year would have to be seen as a disappointment.” – Jesse Collings
“Over the past year, Akira has gradually been distanced from his tag team with TJP to carve out his identity as a solo act. That’s not to diminish his time in Catch-22, which clearly helped sharpen his polish and confidence, while amplifying the fiery explosiveness that defines his style. His performance in BOSJ 32 proved he has the tools and presence to be an invaluable asset of the junior heavyweight division moving forward.” – Warren Hayes
#22 – ISHIN
Age: 27
Years Active: 3
Promotion: Dragongate
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: Open The Triangle Gate Champion
Highest Panel Ranking: 5
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“When I went to Las Vegas to watch the Dragongate crew work in America in April, I watched ISHIN wrestle alongside Shun Skywalker and Kota Minoura on a Texas Wrestling Cartel show. To my knowledge, this show hasn’t aired anywhere and might not have even been filmed. Watching ISHIN work in front of a 100 people, most of whom were there to see ex-Bayley Superfan Izzy Moreno, was an utterly fascinating experience. This audience had no clue who ISHIN was and had I shouted out to them that he was “the modern day Dick Togo”, they would’ve thought I was making a weird genitalia reference. By the time his match was over, however, people were enthralled by ISHIN. This was the case with every match he worked in America. The second-generation supernova has developed such an electric persona, one that forces people to take note as soon as he walks through the curtain, that he has willed himself into being a key figure in Dragongate’s biggest storylines. ISHIN has found a way to blend top-tier character work with in-ring action, as he notably crushed it in a Dream Gate challenge against YAMATO last September and then in King of Gate in November against his fellow second-generation star, Mochizuki Junior, a match that ISHIN told Open the Voice Gate was his favorite match of his career. The only question with ISHIN going forward is if he’ll be able to develop proper “main event” charisma. Right now, ISHIN is Bill Paxton. He’s your ideal secondary star. He will have an extraordinary career if he stays in that spot. I hope, though, at some point, ISHIN is able to find his ‘Twister’ and shine at the top of the marquee.” – Case Lowe
“What a jerk. ISHIN is a fantastic hoss heel in the world of Dragongate who instantly comes across as someone you can’t wait to boo. He’s a great worker and super charismatic.” – Fred Morlan
“It’s really fun to see “your guys” paying off. I think one of the most rewarding exercises in wrestling fandom is the ability to see someone at their very debut, grow an affinity for them, and then see them succeed over their career. ISHIN was one of “my guys” from his debut, and a lot of that was kind of the baby bull charm he had with his brother Riki Iihashi being more of a Dragon System archetype.
It was 2024 when ISHIN took his big step forward into being a major player. His Dream Gate challenge in October followed up with a match ISHIN considers the best of his career, the latest in his career rivalry against Mochizuki Jr that November. After getting a chance to talk to him for a bit over Wrestlemania Weekend, it became clear to me how special of wrestler he is. A power junior in style but with a size that makes him one of the heavier people in the roster, ISHIN developed an outsized charisma over the balloting period that translates promotions and nationalities. We are looking at a guy who wrestles like Daisuke Sekimoto but cuts promos like Naruki Doi, and that’s a combo that will keep him one of the best wrestlers under the age of thirty until his eligibility elapses.” – Mike Spears
“One of the stars of Dragongate’s Wrestlemania Weekend, ISHIN has a charisma unlike few others and is developing the hard-hitting in-ring offense to back it up. A highlight of every Dragongate show he’s on.” – Paul Wedding
#21 – Kevin Knight
Age: 28
Years Active: 6
Promotion: All Elite Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion
Highest Panel Ranking: 10
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“After bouncing around a bit, Knight finally has big time national exposure in a promotion that seems to have taken a liking to him. Arrows pointing up.” – Warren Hayes
“He’s got the high flying of a junior in a heavyweight’s body. Sky high potential.” – Tyler Forness
“Knight has become a must-watch wrestler and what stands out about Knight is his solid fundamentals and his strategic use of his athleticism. There are wrestlers who do more flips, wrestle at a faster pace, and jam more action into their matches, but Knight, probably thanks to his NJPW breeding, does a masterful job of waiting until the right time to bust out his best stuff, such as his UFO splash and his standing top-rope hurricanrana.” – Jesse Collings
#20 – JACKY KAMEI
Age: 25
Years Active: 5
Promotion: Dragongate
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: N/A
Highest Panel Ranking: 5
Last Year’s Ranking: 24
“Out of all the young wrestlers Dragongate has churned out in recent years, Kamei feels like the most Dragongate-y of them all. A natural, undersized babyface who is the glue that keeps everything together in the company’s trademark chaotic multi-man matches, Kamei is charismatic, sympathetic, lightning quick and super smooth in the ring.” – Jesse Collings
“JACKY KAMEI is five-and-a-half years into his career and he still feels like he’s wrestling’s best kept secret. I don’t get the impression that the “I watch AEW every week and enjoy a big New Japan show” fan knows his name or his work, which is a damn shame. KAMEI has developed a knack for rising to the occasion when the lights are brightest. He’s Dragongate’s Reggie Miller. He’s not a top of the line star, but when he’s in there with their top of the line stars, he fools you into thinking that he’s on their level. That’s a weird, NBA-pilled way of saying that his ceiling remains absurdly high and his output is utterly superb. He transitioned from one long-running tag team of the year contender with Jason Lee to a new contender with Riiita. He’s proven he can have high-level singles title bouts, as well. My biggest complaint with Dragongate is that they haven’t pushed him hard enough, because every time he winds up in a big spot, he succeeds.” – Case Lowe
“On any given night there is a chance that Jacky Kamei is the best wrestler in the world, particularly in multi-man tag matches, nobody does it like him.” – Paul Wedding
“It’s kind of wild if we look at the path Kamei went down over the last twelve months. In May 2024, Jacky Kamei seemed like the no-doubt Breakout Star of 2024 and was about to join a white-hot Big Hug group coming out of Dead or Alive. Then Big Hug promptly died a death and ate up the rest of his 2024. He was the same “Big Match Jack,” the ability and crowd connection didn’t evaporate for him, Big Hug just didn’t work out and was promptly disbanded.
On the final December Korakuen Hall show of the year for Dragongate, they put together an “all-star” tag match with Mexico being represented by Luis Mante and Flamita against Japan of Kamei and Riiita. It felt like something for the four of them to do when they didn’t have obvious things to be booked in, and somehow Dragongate stumbled into instant chemistry and the four attempted to steal that show. Knowing they had a good thing, Kamei quickly joined Gold Class as the calendar turned to 2025, and it’s almost like the company mind-erased the failure of Big Hug from our minds.
Kamei remains the most sure bet of a great match out of anyone on the company’s roster. He’s approaching five years in the industry and he’s thoroughly surpassed his former classmate SBK. My only wish for Jacky Kamei is that he’s on the next set of North American appearances for Dragongate, it’s time for the rest of the world to discover how special of a wrestler he is.” – Mike Spears
#19 – Starlight Kid
Age: 23
Years Active: 9
Promotion: STARDOM
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: Wonder of Stardom Champion, Artist of Stardom Champion, SPARK Joshi World Champion, New Year Competition League Winner
Highest Panel Ranking: 4
Last Year’s Ranking: NR
“Starlight Kid is a classic “23-year-old who’s also an 8-year veteran” joshi, and she’s benefitted more from the regime change in STARDOM than possibly anybody not named Saya Kamitani. SLK’s popularity always vastly outpaced her push during the Rossy Ogawa era, especially after her heel turn and Oedo Tai run saw it reach new heights, but after returning to the babyface side she’s finally broken out as the leader of the Neo Genesis faction and Wonder of STARDOM champion. She’s been a great wrestler for years now, but all the work she’s apparently been putting in with El Desperado (you can definitely see his influence in her love of leg submissions now) has only improved her from a technical standpoint, giving her a whole new dimension in her matches that has really rounded her into a complete package. She’s one of STARDOM’s top stars, one of the best wrestlers in the world right now, and still has seven years to go before she even hits 30- kinda unfair, really.” – John Carroll
“There has never been a better time for SLK to step up and cement herself as a permanent presence at the top of STARDOM’s card. She’s got the skill, the talent, and an effortless charisma that draws people in. With Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano stepping away, the door is wide open, and SLK has everything it takes to walk through it and become the promotion’s top babyface.” – Warren Hayes
“SLK is such a great worker and always comes off like a star.” – Fred Morlan
#18 – Mochizuki Jr.
Age: 22
Years Active: 3
Promotion: Dragongate
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: N/A
Highest Panel Ranking: 8
Last Year’s Ranking: 23
“Junior kicked off this year with another classic match with his dad, and continues only to get better. There’s no doubt he’ll be a great Dream Grate Champion someday just like his father.” – Paul Wedding
“If we treated this poll as a stock market where we “invest” in wrestlers and hope their future careers “pay off,” there would be no surer investment than Mochizuki Jr. Baring a crisis, he will be a major star for Dragongate and likely the first second generation Dream Gate champion. Although this last year, didn’t have as much “focused” booking as previous years, he has continued to progress and become not just the son of Masaaki Mochizuki, but a personality in his own right. I’d say his biggest success this year is that: finding a good position in Gold Class apart from his dad. I expect in future years to have a lot more to write about him succeeding as he moves up the card/booking order.” – Mike Spears
“One of the most obvious “this guy is going to be a future world champion” guys that we’ve had in quite awhile. What’s crazy is that Junior is getting ready to begin his third year in wrestling – it’s gone by so fast. I am as bullish on him, if not more, than I was after his first and second anniversaries. It’s obvious that he’s Masaaki Mochizuki’s son in all of the best ways. Junior, much like his stablemate JACKY KAMEI, is a guy that I’m just waiting for Dragongate to push with no regard. All of the pieces are there, it’s just about getting opportunities.” – Case Lowe
#17 – MAO
Age: 28
Years Active: 9
Promotion: DDT Pro Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: DDT Universal Champion, KO-D Tag Team Champion, BZW Tag Team Champion, DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Champion
Highest Panel Ranking: 7
Last Year’s Ranking: 29
“MAO is the kind of career indie standout that Japan has been producing for decades. Starting at a young age, he cut his teeth in the wacky world of the Japanese indies and DDT, where he eventually has turned into one of the most versatile wrestlers in the world, capable of working a wide variety of styles either as a loveable face or a dastardly heel. He has been the MVP of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in 2025.” – Jesse Collings
“MAO is always on the verge of falling out of my consciousness, and then I’m reminded that he’s stupidly young. MAO is a great and unique worker who combines a willingness to do insane stuff with a unique presentation, charisma, and great in-ring skills.” – Fred Morlan
#16 – MJF
Age: 29
Years Active: 10
Promotion: All Elite Wrestling
Accomplishments Over The Last Year: AEW International Champion, Dynamite Diamond Ring 2024 Winner
Highest Panel Ranking: 3
Last Year’s Ranking: 5
“I really hated MJF from mid-2023 to late-2024. He’s not perfect. There’s still things about the way that he presents himself that drives me insane. That being said, wrestling is better when MJF is clicking, and it’s nice to see him finding his footing once again.” – Case Lowe
“Even though MJF has struggled creatively over the past few years by wasting his long-awaited babyface turn on the nonsensical Brochachos storyline and then insisting on seeing it through to the bitter end with a 2024 Adam Cole program that largely fell flat, he’s still one of the biggest stars and draws in the business. His feuds with Will Ospreay, Daniel Garcia, and Hangman Page were a return to form as a heel, and the early returns on his program with the Hurt Syndicate are promising. While his creative instincts might be questionable, the talent is obviously still there.” – Adam Berger
“Look, I can’t defend the Brochachos shit, and it’s become obvious that he needs someone to filter his ideas, but MJF is elite at everything but the bell to bell, and that’s very good to great. He’s the entire package.” – Tyler Forness
“I understand the hesitancy with MJF given the utter failure of the brochacho storyline, but his skills are too high level to not have him in the top 30. He’s charismatic, a great promo, and a great in-ring worker. Oh, and super over.” – Fred Morlan
“We are two years removed from the, erm, events of 2023, and yet it still feels like Max is trying to regain his mojo. Over the past year, he has reminded everyone of just how good he can be, particularly in his standout matches with Will Ospreay and Hangman Page. But too often, his heel work still leans heavily on shtick. In a landscape where many of AEW’s Day One talents have grown and adapted, you’re left wondering: how has MJF evolved?” – Warren Hayes
“I might have him ranked higher than anybody else (fourth) but MJF is still easily one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, regardless of age. Creatively his instincts are still questionable, but what isn’t questionable is that he has incredible charisma, confidence and he’s about as good of a big match wrestler as you will find.” – Jesse Collings
