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WWE has been the land of opportunity for several years. People of nearly every race and color have competed in the company, reaching varied levels of success.
Age has also played a great role in a superstar’s success in the company. Over the years, fans have watched older superstars like Goldberg and Bobby Lashley win top championships in the company.
Meanwhile, WWE has continued to introduce some young stars and tried to give them a platform to launch themselves. Cora Jade is currently one of the youngest superstars in the company at 20 years of age. Meanwhile, Nicholas broke all records by winning the RAW Tag Team Championship at the age of 10.
Not many can compete with Nicholas’ achievements in the industry. However, there are several current and former superstars who debuted in the company as teenagers. With that being said, take a look at the eight superstars who debuted as teenagers.
#8. JoJo Offerman was 19 years old when she participated in her first match
Most WWE fans will remember JoJo Offerman as a ring announcer and interviewer. She was also part of the E! Network's reality television show Total Divas during the first season, which aired in 2013.
In October 2013, JoJo was booked in her first match on RAW. She teamed up with Natalya and Eva Marie in a winning effort against Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes, and Aksana in a six-woman tag-team match. Unsurprisingly, JoJo was never tagged into the match.
The match still allowed JoJo to make her in-ring debut at just 19 years of age. She competed in a few more matches for the company but never became a top superstar.
#7. Former WWE NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate won the title at 19 years of age
Tyler Bate competed in his first match for Vince McMahon's promotion in the United Kingdom Title Tournament in 2017. Born on 7 March 1998, Bate was only 19 at the time of his debut match.
His debut was impressive, and he progressed in the United Kingdom Championship Tournament. The young man did not disappoint as he defeated Wolfgang in the semi-finals and Pete Dunne in the final to win the tournament and become the inaugural champion.
At 19 years old, he became the second teenager in company history to win a title. Bate has been a cornerstone for NXT UK ever since. He is arguably the strongest pound-for-pound wrestlers on the brand, and still one of the youngest top superstars in the company.
#6. Former NXT Champion Bo Dallas debuted as a 19-year-old
Bo Dallas was once destined for great things in WWE. Born in May 1990, Dallas joined the company in 2008 at age 18. He debuted for Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) just a few months later and defeated Kaleb O'Neal.
Dallas’ first televised FCW match took place in April 2009. He was 19 years of age at the time. He moved to NXT a few years later and became a champion on the brand.
Dallas is the son of former superstar I.R.S. and brother of Bray Wyatt. After being underutilized by the company for several years, Dallas was released from his contract in April 2019.
#5. Kelly Kelly was only 19 when she made her WWE debut
Kelly Kelly was picked up by talent scouts at a time when she was working as a teen model. She was only 19 years of age when the company offered her a contract. She made her in-ring debut for the company in a Bikini Bull Riding Contest in 2006.
Her first match was a six-person mixed tag team match in ECW. She worked hard in the company and eventually became a top name. She also won the Divas Championship once in her career.
She ended her wrestling career quite early to heal from a neck injury and go back to modeling. Kelly has continued to make sporadic appearances ever since.
#4. Matt Hardy was probably the first 19 year old in the company
Matt Hardy was arguably the first WWE Superstar to debut as a teenager. He made his debut as an enhancement talent in 1994 on an episode of Monday Night Raw. Matt was 19 years of age at the time of his first match.
He took on Nikolai Volkoff in his first match. Matt continued to compete in several matches as an enhancement talent throughout the year and started gaining some experience.
It wasn’t until 1996 that Jeff and Matt got to tag together in the company. Hardy has become a household name over the years. Along with his brother Jeff, he managed to carve a niche for himself in the industry.
#3. Former WWE Divas Champion Paige was only 19 when she made her debut
Paige was born in August 1992. She participated in a try-out for the company in 2010 but failed. In 2011, she succeeded and was signed by the company at just 19 years of age.
She made her debut for FCW at a house show in January 2012, under the ring name Saraya. The company changed her ring name to Paige and she debuted on FCW television soon after.
Paige turned out to be one of the most successful female superstars for the company in 2010s. However, an unfortunate injury cut the former NXT Women’s Champion’s career short.
#2. Rene Dupree became one of the youngest champions in WWE
In 2002, Rene Dupree became the youngest wrestler to sign with WWE. He was only 18 at the time and was ready to make it big in the company.
He went on to make his main roster debut on RAW with Sylvan Grenier as part of La Resistance. On June 15, 2003, La Résistance won the World Tag Team Championship from Kane and Rob Van Dam at Bad Blood. The victory allowed Dupree to become the youngest wrestler in the company to win the World Tag Team Championship at the time.
He worked with the company till 2007, after which he was released from his contract. He is still active on the independent circuit and is still hungry to win more titles in his career.
#1. Jeff Hardy was only 16 years old when he had his first match
Rene Dupree may be the youngest superstar to sign with WWE, but Jeff Hardy is the youngest teenager to ever compete for the company.
Jeff Hardy competed in his first match for the company in 1994. He came out to face Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall under the ring name Keith Davis. The Hardy Boyz would work several matches as enhancement talent during their early days, and this was the first time Jeff competed in the company.
Even though The Charismatic Enigma claimed he was 18 years of age to get the match, Matt Hardy confirmed that Jeff had to lie about his age.
"Jeff was the first one that wrestled that night. He was 16 years old. The guy that brought us – Gary Sabaugh, The Italian Stallion – I remember him saying, 'Your brother’s only 16? Well, he’s gotta lie about his age on the sheet. He’s 18.'" Matt said.
At 16 years of age, Jeff is the youngest teenager to have competed on the main roster. The 44-year-old is still one of the most gifted performers in the industry today.
