The 2025 Pro Wrestling Freshman List

Growing up, the XXL Freshman list was a big deal for me, and I always wanted to make my own version with pro wrestling. I hope I did the concept justice, and with the help of some fantastic people, the 2025 pro wrestling freshman is here.

Already working on 2026…
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Intro: 0:00
XXL: 0:15
Leon Slater: 1:29
Mao: 4:23
Kevin Knight: 7:09
Man Like Dereiss: 9:55
Saquon Shugars: 11:22
Rhio: 13:18
Starboy Charlie: 14:55
Billie Starkz: 16:54
Luke Jacobs: 19:05
Zayda Steel: 21:39
Zozaya: 22:36
Outro/2026 Candidates: 25:16

What if pro wrestling had its own freshman list? That’s what I’ve been working on for the last year. Here it is. You see, my obsession for professional wrestling has led me to the career that I have today. But growing up, I was just as obsessed with rap. And one thing I always wanted to do was to create my own wrestling version of the Double XXL Freshman List. For those unaware, the double XXL Freshman List is a annual magazine list to predict the upcoming rappers in the industry. Starting in 2007, it has highlighted so many names like Kendrick Lamar, JCole, Mac Miller, Wall, Kid Cuddy. It has helped catapult careers. And while the predictive list may not have the gravity that it used to, I still think that it is a tremendous concept that I wanted to bring over to the wrestling world. So, I along with many other creators that you will hear throughout this video have worked over the last year to create our own pro- wrestling freshman list. We have been profiling wrestlers on the indies, international, and even the mainstream stage. The list consists of 10 wrestlers and a fanoted in wrestler. I cannot describe to you how much of a struggle it was to eliminate so many names because the wrestling world currently is thriving in all areas. But I’m very proud of this list. I’m very excited to talk about every single member of this list. So, let’s get into the 2025 Pro Wrestling Freshman list. [Music] And what a better way to start than the fan favorite Leon Slater. We placed so many names for fans to vote in on who they believed should be a part of this list. And Leon Slater came out as the winner. From Bradford, England, the youngest in charge, Leon Slater has carved out a crazy path for himself as one of the pillars of the British wrestling resurgence. already signed with TNA, teaming with his idol Jeff Hardy, and he’s only 20 years old. Leon Slater is a prodigy. Slater found wrestling not from watching a match while channel surfing, not a clip online, but from the video games. Smackdown versus Raw, 2008 to be exact. My personal favorite as well. I know everyone’s a 2007 fan. I have a real connection 2008. So does Leon. And that video game is the reason why we have one of the best young prospects in professional wrestling history. Slater found wrestling to hit the ground running. Started training at 9 years old. His favorites growing up were guys like Rob Vanam, Shelton Benjamin, and of course, Jeff Hardy. It’s easy to see the Jeff Hardy comps as Slater’s finisher is an ode to Hardy Swanton, but he evolves it with a Swanton 450. It’s one of the most insane moves I’ve ever seen. And despite seeing it a million times, I am still just starruck and in awe and slightly confused on how he is able to stay in the air that long as he does the swanton while also then midair changing it to a 450 splash. It’s it’s insane. You have to see it. Slater’s resume has the likes of Will Osprey, Speedball, Michael Oku, Josh Alexander, Koskeesta, and Mustapa Ali on it. Slater has wrestled the best of the best and proven that he is just as good. If you were to describe a blue chip prospect, I don’t think that there is a blue chip prospect more fitting for that name in any sport than Leon Slater is to pro wrestling. And he’s already going viral as Leon Slater is doing dives like he is Jeff Hardy. And he is making fans wonder how he did that, why he would do that, and how he just got up. But Leon is more than just a generational highf flyer as he is one of the leaders of carrying the British scene back to prominence. I imagine for the next 10 years, Leon Slater is going to be that representation for all of the high-flying kids. All the kids that grew up loving Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio, Rob Vanam. He is going to be that representation that they can see weekly on their television. He is going to be a mear in this industry. You heard it here first. Leon Slater is the first 2025 pro wrestling [Music] freshman. Throughout this process, I have found one of my new favorite wrestlers, and that is Ma. The whole purpose of this list is to find somebody that people aren’t really that aware of and see them grow and watch them become a big star. To me, that’s Mao. Mao is punk rock in the form of professional wrestling. DDT’s Wild Child, Mao, is a wrestler that a fans with his quick-paced, highintensity, hardcore style. And as he puts it, Mao brings [ __ ] up wrestling for a [ __ ] up world. Al began his wrestling career playing Firepro Wrestling on the Game Boy Advance. Another guy influenced by video games. Al saw the moves on the video games and thought he can do the same. So, while he was in the seventh grade, he was uploading moves that he was doing in his house that he learned from Firepro Wrestling onto YouTube. Ma’s YouTube videos caught the eye of Saniro Tagi and Takagi invited him to train with DDT. A former tag partner with Speedball, Mike Bailey with Moonlight Express and a stablemate with Kundoske Techstia, Mao has friends in high places and an extremely impressive resume. Mao has expanded from just being a DDT wrestler, though he also has wrestled for places like GCW and now New Japan Pro Wrestling as Mao has just debuted in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. Now, I am recording this before the start of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. But I’m very excited to see Mao. He is the main reason I watch every year, but he is the main reason this year why I’m excited to watch this tournament. I think the reason why he jumps off the page to me is that he is completely unique. I know nobody that feels and looks like Mao. I mean, Ma is the cross between somebody that you would see in Jackass and Tony Hawk Pro Skater. It’s different to Darby Allen because I know that you’re thinking Darby Allen. He’s got the daredevil of like Jeb Hardy, but he’s got this aloofness to life and comedic style that Darby doesn’t have that that fits more of like a orange Cassidy. You might see Mao taking a DDT into a toilet bowl, jumping off of a house, or showcasing that he’s one of the best junior heavyweights in one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. But one thing is for sure, when you see Mao, you will not forget him. Mao has comedy, hardcore, and high-flying. He is an artist of chaos, but an artist nonetheless. This next year is going to be big for Mao. I think he is one of the biggest risers of anyone outside of the big promotions in America. And to be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was snatched up by AEW by the end of the year. Maybe a Moonlight Express reunion. Maybe teaming with Brody King. I see a lot of potential for [Music] Mal. Arguably the biggest name on this list is Kevin Knight. In complete transparency, I actually would not have put Kevin Knight on this list if we didn’t already have him penciled in for the last year. We’ve been very excited to talk about Kevin Knight. He has been on the radar for us since the beginning and we had already had him in, but god is he getting a skyrocket push right now in AW. We are so happy for him. We saw the potential before he was signed to AW. From his runs in New Japan, teaming up with Kashida, and his time in TNA, wrestling for Defy, Kevin Knight has been one that you should be looking out for for the last few years. And Kevin Knight didn’t just randomly get this push. He didn’t just get placed into the spotlight randomly. He had to earn it. He had to grow in the LA dojo under Katyori Shabata. Earlier this year, Knight became a free agent and had every company calling. However, while WWE was wanting him to try out, he opted to sign with AEW and New Japan on a double deal, and it has been proven to be the right decision so far. Knight has had a rocket strapped to his back ever since signing. From wrestling Jay White on his debut to teaming with Will Osprey and facing off with the aerial assassin at AEW Dynasty in the first round of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament. And he’s $100,000 richer, at least in Kfabe. Not only is this a great showcase for talents coming into AW that you can be pushed from the start, but it’s also important for it to be the right wrestler. And they got it right with Kevin Knight. But I think that our buddy Enigma could speak a little bit better to what might be in store for Kevin Knight’s future in AW. I would love to see Kevin Knight join the Hurt Syndicate. For many people that say that they want Cedric Alexander to join AEW and re reunite like the Hurt Syndicate full power, I say let Cedric tore the indies do whatever because not only can you have the hurt syndicate hurt people, yes, they can fly as I believe Kevin Knight can be the next or the current gold standard. Pairing him with Shelton Benjamin would be amazing. MVP could do all the talking and that would push Bobby Lashley to be be a man inventor. And now in AEW, Kevin Knight would get that experience. He would get that wisdom. He would be able to take what he gains here and carry it on for the next 15 to 20 years. I think Kevin Knight is the perfect example of when talent and hard work meets opportunity. He has all of the potential in the world and the world is finally getting to see it. When I say 01, you say 211. Wrestling’s full of characters, but man like Darice is not just a character or a gimmick. He is a fully ready star for the big stage. But Darice doesn’t just rap. He is truly an MC. He knows how to control the crowd. Arguably the most important thing in professional wrestling. We’ve seen a lot of bad rapping characters before, but not one like men like Darice. not one that felt so a part of who they are. And we’ve never really seen UK rap on the big stage. We’ve never really seen any grime influence on the big stage. And Men Like Dice is absolutely going to be that first big representation that we see. Another Brit member on this list, just like Leon Slater, Men Like Dice was crucial at carrying the weight of a nation and helping to rebuild a once great scene now back to thriving. Dice doesn’t just represent himself. He is currently representing a country, an art form, and is a voice that remains authentic and fun, giving England a reason to be proud of professional wrestling. I don’t even need to see them to know that he is going to be a star. I look at the crowd, the energy that they give when Darice comes out. That alone tells you that this dude is going to be huge someday. And that someday is going to be very soon. Saquon Sugars is a standout known formerly as Lucky Ali, making his name in DPW. It was a no-brainer that Saquon Sugars was going to be a star once he signed with the WWE. You can see Sugars now as a standout performer in the group Dark State. Dark State have taken over NXT getting comparisons to the Shield in the way that they look, attack, and even the finisher is the same. However, there’s a big difference between The Shield and Dark State. And it’s the specific bravado, the specific chaos, the the specific energy and confidence and tenacity that this group brings. And that’s largely because of Saquon Sugars. It almost feels like Seaquin is making up for lost time. Seaquan would have been on this list last year if it wasn’t for a horrible knee injury that took him out for nearly a year. While someone like Javon Evans, who he has wrestled all around the United States with, had an immediate jump to start in WWE, Saquon was forced to watch on the sidelines until now. It’s not surprising at all if you’ve seen his interviews and promos on DPW that Sugars is the primary talker in Dark State and wrestling seems to come as second nature to the guy. He literally has it all. Most of this list is to showcase wrestlers that are outside of the WWE circle, profiling Indian international scenes that are overlooked, but sometimes WWE just gets their hands on the right guy. And Saquon Sugars is the right guy. All WWE has to do now is give Seaquan the ball. I imagine that that’s going to be one of the easiest decisions that WWE and NXT have ever made. This list is all about finding the IT factors in professional wrestling, and Seaquan is easily at the top of that list. [Applause] A 10-year vet, Rio is finally getting the recognition she deserves. Rio has proven to be one of the best young bright spots on the independent scene and once again another member of that British wrestling scene that she helped rebuild. Not too many women can match Rio in terms of power. Rio out muscles legends powerhoused her way through England, captured the women’s progress championship and kept the title for 443 days just missing out on the record held by Jenny. Rio is once again at the top of the English scene as she just reclaimed the Progress Women’s Championship for the second time. There is a lot of talk after she had a WWE try out that Riho may be the next NXT star. And while I have no idea if WWE will sign her, they should. They’d be crazy not to. Regardless of where she goes, she is going to be a star. whether she decides to stay in England and being that pillar that holds up the British scene once again if so many of these people are going to get signed or if she decides to go to NXT and have bangers against Zarya and Saul Ruka which I would be very excited to see or she could fool us all. We could see her in AEW quite easily battling with the best of them like Tony Storm, Mercedes Monet and Willow Nightingale, Chris Statlander, Jamie Hater. All of that would make sense and I don’t know if any of them can outpower Rio. I really am excited to see what is next for Rio in professional wrestling. Wrestling needs an underdog. That babyface that men, women, children can get behind, root for, defeat adversity. And that next star is a boy named Charlie. Star Boy Charlie is one that’s been a big indie name for years. Maybe it’s the standout aesthetic as the denim dragon wrestles in overalls. Maybe it’s the versatile move set, somebody that can provide exciting flips and knows how to fight from underneath. Or maybe it’s the Tik Tok edits of them. No joke, my best friend once texted me and asked me when he was going to see Star Boy Charlie on TV. This is somebody that is not super tapped into professional wrestling, just a very casual viewer watching WWE from time to time. So, I knew for a fact he wasn’t checking out GCW. I knew for a fact that he wasn’t watching West Coast Pro where Starboy Charlie wrestles. So, I asked, “How the hell do you know who Starboy Charlie is?” And his response was, “I see the TikTok edits of him.” Charlie along with his best friend and tag partner Titus Alexander are one of the biggest upand cominging wrestlers on the West Coast scene. At just 22 years old in West Coast Pro, he wasn’t protected as just a kid. He stood across from killers like GYV, Jonathan Gresham, Masha Slamovic, and still gave back what he got. But remember, I talked about that adversity. And unfortunately, Starboy Charlie had suffered a pretty gruesome broken leg back in 2021 in one of his matches, but he somehow returned in less than a year. And when he returned, he felt sharper, more dangerous than ever. and he has been skyrocketing ever since. The pro wrestling freshman is about believing in somebody for the long haul. Seeing them at a very young age and seeing all the potential that they have to be one of the game changers in the professional wrestling industry, not just in a year, but in 5 years and 10 years. Star Boy Charlie is going to be a name that you know about for the next 10 years. [Music] From high school hallways to AEW arenas, this is not a maybe. This is a win. This is a guarantee. This is Billy Starks. For hardcore wrestling fans, Billy Starks is a name that they’ve been aware of for years. Making herself a focal point of the independent scene as a high schooler. Stark was signed to Ring of Honor where she was the inaugural television champion, defeating Queen Aminata and scaring everyone in the process, faking an injury that 100% scared me shitless as I saw this live. I thought I just watched this great potential young wrestler’s career end. So, potential Oscar in her wake as well. She was doing all of this before she was out of her teens, finishing high school and now going into college. There can’t be any test than wrestling at Forbidden Door. There’s an argument that Starks is the biggest name on this list as she’s already been ranked over Bianca Belair in last year’s PWI Women’s Top 150. She’s being mentored by Athena in Ring of Honor and has even faced Mercedes Monet on Dynamite. Billy’s been on AEW pre-show pay-per-views. Billy has been the main event at the Hammerstein Ballroom for Ring of Honor. and she hasn’t even been able to celebrate with champagne. She’d have to settle for sparkling water. At 20 years old, Billy Starks is a balls tothe-wall type of wrestler, as fans have already begun to mention how every move in Billy’s arsenal is basically kill or be killed. Wrestling style has this reckless charm to it, but she also can showcase that she is very much a student of this game. She has been studying from what feels like quite literally day one of her life. Starks is not the if, she is the when. When is she going to be put on AW as a mainstay and one of the biggest pieces of the television show? I would imagine 2025 is going to be a big year for Billy Starks as she continues to break out and we are going to see more gold around her waist and maybe she finally defeats Athena. Obviously, a major theme of this video is talking about the British wrestling resurgence. You’re probably already tired of hearing about how much I’m talking about British wrestlers, but that is how important and how much this scene is on fire right now. Luke Jacobs is currently at the top of the scene. But let me throw it over to somebody with a wealth of knowledge about Luke Jacobs, my guy. Wave Yeti. If y’all want to be a fan of one of these freshman in this list, Luke Jacobs should be that guy. He is the current Progress Wrestling World Champion. And when I tell y’all the things that he’s accomplished at such a young age, the sky is the limit for him, bro. And to quote Jacob Fatu a little bit, Luke Jacobs can really fight and he will dog walk anybody that is stepping in his way in the future. Bro, if there’s a couple of matches I want you guys to watch from Luke Jacobs, it is Luke Jacobs versus Will Osprey at RevP Pro 2023, which is where he solidified himself as a star in British wrestling. I would also say watch a lot of the matches that he’s had with Michael Oku either at Ref Pro 12- year anniversary 2024 or in 2022 Summer. Bro, whenever these guys get in the ring, they cook, bro. That’s all I got to say. Another match I recommend you guys to watch is Luke Jacobs versus Leon Slater. And I hope that a major company like New Japan Pro Wrestling picks him up because I believe once he travels to Japan and goes to New Japan Pro Wrestling, he’s going to become an absolute star to be reckoned with. Jacobs not only has the pressure of elevating all of England, he is constantly getting compared to one of the biggest wrestlers right now in the industry. Gunther, Progress World Champion, Progress Atlas Champion. The chops, the looks, they are very similar to be fair. But Jacobs is his own man and he stood tall in classics with Will Osprey, Michael Ou, Toma Hiroshi. But Jacobs isn’t selling a character. He is selling believability as every single move you believe hurts. And believability might be the most underrated currency in professional wrestling. Will we ever get that dream match with Gunther? Only time will [Applause] tell. Zeta Steel is the real deal. But let my guy TJ Gatsby tell you why she was the number one pick for WWE’s ID program. Now, when we talk about breakout stars and the future of the business, the person who should be at the forefront of these conversations is none other than Zeta Steel, a WWE ID prospect only 3 years in the game. She’s appeared on Evolve already. We’ve seen her in clips on NXT, whether it was in the audience or little backstage segments. Because while the rest of y’all out there keep doubting the real deal Zeta Steel, we going to be right here at the forefront making sure everybody knows the name of the future of women’s wrestling. The best young footballer in the world is Lamin coming from Barcelona. But the best young wrestler, there’s an argument he comes from Madrid. This is Zoziah, the ace of Spain. While Spain’s top flag bearer may be Axiom currently, Zoza is right behind him. There is a term in football or soccer called a wonder kid. Somebody that is destined for greatness at a very young age. Somebody that is going to be a worldclass player, has all the tools to be the face of the sport. There is no better word to describe Ziah than pro wrestling’s wonder kid. 63, extremely young, and constantly putting on the best match on the card night in and night out. Coming from Spain, Zoziah is now making a name for himself in the UK. Aa actually started training in Ireland at the age of 15 because TripleW, the biggest Spanish promotion, would not allow wrestlers to train under the age of 16. Apply what he learned in Ireland to become the best in Spain. And now in the UK, he has proven that he is just as good as anybody that comes from the country. So Zia is one that you kind of categorize as a perfect wrestler. the babyface fire that he has, the comeback ability that he has, they’re topnotch. I’d love to see some more promos or just interviews out of Zoziah just to see more of his personality. However, the stamina and cardio and in ring ability that he’s proven in multiple 60-minute matches has displayed his potential to be the next iconic bell-to-bell wrestler on the indies, being synonymous with the names of Brian Danielson, Zack Saber Jr., and Kenny Omega. I’m not saying that he’s there yet, but I see it. And I see him being the flag bearer for Spain. A scene that is currently beginning to bubble. It might not have the buzz and infrastructure at the moment of in England, of France, uh Germany, but there’s something there. There’s something that’s being built there with the likes of Axiom and Zosiah. Dude has already had a try out with WWE. And look, I’m no WWE scout, but there is no shot that I am letting this kid leave without a contract in his hand. Time will tell if WWE sees what I see in him. But if they do, in 2025 or 2026, you will likely see the name Zoziah in the best matches of the year lists for the WWE. That’s it. That’s the list. I am so proud of this list. I am so thankful for everyone that helped me work on this. There is a ton of credit that I want to give to all of them for making this list possible. And I want to reiterate how difficult it was to make this list because I did not want to cut out so many wrestlers. We could have made 11 totally different wrestlers and the list still would have been great and valid. Just to name a few for potential for next year or just ones to look out for as well. Lena Cross in Australia, she’s amazing. Kosai Fuja in New Japan is is already go he may be too big for next year’s list. Uh Ag Blanc and Mr. Tribe Kuro and France are truly changing that entire country’s wrestling scene. Uh LJ Clearary has been one that we’re waiting to see him blow up on a bigger stage. Mike Dioci. Hey, this is editor Johnny uh screaming at YouTube Johnny on why the hell I pronounce his name like that. It’s Mike Devekio and you should learn his name very very soon because he just actually signed with WWE um along with Aglay Blanc and it looks like Zoziah uh all three of those dudes I think could have big big years. Uh Aglay Blanc and Mike D. Expect to be a part of the list next year if you’re not already too big which I think Mike D actually might be. Anyways, back to the video. I think that he has all of the looks of the next big super impressive athletic powerhouse. somebody like I guess like a cross between probably like a Brock Lesnar and a Brian Cage. Golden Boy Santos could be huge. He I really like the personality that I’ve seen out of him. Hion amazing on the independent scene. Mila Grace just got signed at TNA. I think there there’s really big things for her next year. Uh Alex Windsor obviously she’s huge. There’s and that’s just to name a few. There’s so many good wrestlers and there’s so many different wrestlers I could have put on this list. In full transparency, I kind of lost a little bit of fire just watching you WWE and AW. A lot of stuff has just kind of felt bland to me at times. Like there’s always the the hangman stuff that I love or Will Osprey, but for a lot of the stuff, it’s just kind of made me disinterested a little bit in wrestling. And I go to New Japan. While there is stuff I like, it’s really been this process that has brought out the fire in me for my love of professional wrestling and finding these talents that I didn’t know about. people like Lena Cross or people like Malo. And that’s what this list is about. It’s about seeing the trajectory and seeing the stories and seeing how these wrestlers grow because I truly believe that we are going to see some of these wrestlers headline Allin, that they’re going to headline Wrestle Kingdom. They’re going to headline Wrestlemania one day. So, if you have not watched these lads or lasses, go out of your way today, tomorrow, and the next one to go watch some of their matches, promos, interviews, because soon they are going to be your favorite wrestler. Deuces.