Professional wrestling has been around since the 19th century and has come a long way from being purely a circus act. The profession is at the point now where many Superstars are not only children of successful wrestlers of the past but grandchildren as well.
The sheer number of total second and third-generation Superstars is astounding. The list contains Superstars of today as well as a smorgasbord of legends; Bret and Owen Hart, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero and the Von Erichs. All of them and more belong to this elite group of wrestling offsprings.
However, this list will focus specifically on the Superstars of today. WWE oozes with talent these days. And while many of them have risen through the ranks of pro wrestling on their own, many had the benefit of growing up in a wrestling family.
So who are WWE’s best active Superstars that come from a wrestling family? Here are our top 10.
#10 Tamina
Tamina’s career probably hasn’t gone as well as she would’ve hoped. When she debuted in WWE, she was portrayed to be the next powerhouse woman of the division. Instead, she went from one underwhelming storyline to the next, along with plenty of nights where she just didn’t appear on WWE programming.
But with the brand split having been implemented in the summer of last year, WWE needs as much talent as it can find. And with Tamina finally, past the unfortunate situation regarding her father, Jimmy Superfly Snuka, she was able to return during the Superstar shakeup last month.
Since returning, she hasn’t done anything monumental, but she’s been relevant. And that’s a lot more than she can say regarding her career up until this point.
Tamina could actually revitalise her career if given the chance. Sure, the welcoming committee that she’s currently in will likely be looked back on as an underwhelming storyline in the future. But right now, she’s getting screen time. And down the line, she could actually become SmackDown Women’s champion given the lack of depth on the roster.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Tamina. As of right now, she’s one of WWE’s less important and successful second-generation Superstars. But anything can happen in the land of opportunity.
#9 Bo Dallas
If this list was strictly based off of current relevance and TV appearances, Bo Dallas would certainly be lower than Tamina. But it’s not. It’s also based on overall talent both in the ring and on the mic, and Dallas has shown he is actually pretty solid in both of those categories.
Dallas, one of Mike Rotunda’s (aka IRS) two sons, had an awesome run as NXT champion from 2013-2014. His gimmick as an oblivious, overly positive but also arrogant schmuck got him very over in WWE’s developmental brand, but it simply didn’t translate to the main roster.
It’s difficult to tell if it was misuse on the WWE’s part or if Dallas’ gimmick just wasn’t destined to work beyond a small arena like Full Sail’s. The former seems more plausible since Dallas’ undefeated streak on the main roster was ended by R-Truth, which was just a horrendous decision.
Either way, Dallas still has a lot to offer. He’s one of the more naturally funny Superstars on the roster, and he can hold his own in the ring. It’s just a question of if/when Dallas will get to prove himself again.
#8 Carmella
You probably didn’t know Carmella was a second-generation superstar, and that’s through no fault of your own.
Her father, Paul Van Dale, is relatively unknown. According to ProFightDB, Van Dale only has 11 career matches under his belt, losing each of them. However, he did get to compete against the likes of Razor Ramon, Mr Perfect, and Shawn Michaels among others.
His daughter is already far more successful than he ever was, and seems to be getting better all the time. Carmella has actually developed into a solid heel in the SmackDown women’s division and is a million times more confident with a mic in her hand than she was just a few years ago.
At just 28 years old, Carmella has a long career ahead of her. And with a great look and passable in-ring skills to go along with her improved promos, she’ll be a valuable asset to WWE for years to come. And similar to Tamina, she could actually find herself as SmackDown Women’s champion sooner rather than later. due in part to the lack of depth in the division.
Also read: WWE Officials are very high on Carmella
And hey, with James Ellsworth by her side, the sky really is the limit.
#7 Goldust
Put away the pitchforks and torches; I know this seems too low for a veteran and future Hall-of-Famer like Goldust. But this list focuses on active Superstars and how talented and important they are at this point in time. And sadly, Goldy has fallen off a bit.
Goldust will go down in history as one of the strangest but most entertaining Superstars to appear in WWE. He first appeared in the company in 1995 and is a 3-time Intercontinental champion, 9-time Hardcore champion, and 3-time tag team champion, one of those reigns being with Booker T which provided one of the most entertaining pairings of all time.
Now that he’s in the twilight of his career, he’s still got something left, but he’s not what he once was. He’s still funny, he’s still good enough in the ring, but he probably doesn’t have another meaningful title run or anything like that in his future.
The title of this article contains the word “active”, and for Goldust, it’s hard not to wonder how much longer that word will apply to him. Sure he just turned on R-Truth and apparently has a feud lined up. But other than that, it looks like Dusty’s oldest son is on his way out.
#6 Natalya
Still just 34 years old, it feels like Natalya has been in WWE forever. She’s been through the worst of times with the Divas division and all the costume contests and bikini contests that came with it. And now she’s here for the best of times, the revamped women’s division that actually takes women’s wrestling seriously.
Considering she’s been in the company for 10 years, it’s a tad surprising that Natalya has only been champion once, and it was all the way back in 2010. The daughter of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart is one of the better in-ring talents in the Women’s division and is more than capable of hanging with anyone on the roster.
But her mic skills are what have always held her back. She usually sounds like a kid trying to give a presentation in school. Her heel turn helped a bit because her bad mic skills are what a lot of people disliked about her, so she’s using it to her advantage by being so obnoxious and over the top.
Regardless, she’s still a valuable mainstay in the Women’s division. Her ability to have good matches with anyone will keep her relevant for as long as she wants to wrestle, making her one of the better active third-generation superstars. She finally ended her title drought at Summerslam 2017 when she defeated Naomi clean to become SmackDown Women’s Champion.
#5 The Usos
Fans had been clamouring for the Usos to turn heel for some time. When they finally did, it worked out perfectly. Now Rikishi’s twin sons are once again one of the hottest acts in the tag team division, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.
The Samoan gangster gimmick these two have been embracing for the last few months suits them to a tee. They’re overly aggressive, they’re angry, and they’re fun to watch. That last part is something that the colourful, kid-friendly Usos had lost toward the end of their babyface run.
They’re the only ones to appear on this list thus far who are involved in a championship storyline. That alone should prove their value to the company, but their versatility and overall talent should speak for itself.
The Usos are one of the best tag teams on the roster thanks to their chemistry in the ring and revitalised mic work since turning heel. The SmackDown tag team division also has questionable depth, so they’re anchoring it for the time being.
Although they’re not even the most successful Superstars in their own family, they’re still supremely talented and are two of the best active second-generation stars in WWE.
#4 Bray Wyatt
The second of IRS’s two sons, Bray Wyatt, is undeniably the more successful one. His gimmick is one of the most interesting ones on the main roster, which is in stark contrast to the gimmick issues of his brother, Bo Dallas.
But even though he’s the more successful member of his family, he still hasn’t achieved the level of success many expected him to. Many pegged called him the next Undertaker, a supernatural force of nature that could be a great champion.
But to this point, Wyatt has won just two championships: the SmackDown tag team championships with Randy Orton, and the WWE championship. Both reigns were infuriatingly short and probably did more harm than good.
Wyatt needs to finally start picking up some meaningful victories if he’s going to live up to his potential. But the reason he’s so high up on this list is because of exactly that. The potential.
The man looks like a star and no one would be surprised to consistently see him in the main-event picture. That’s more than can be said for a lot of other second-generation Superstars.
#3 Randy Orton
Randy Orton has the most storied career of anyone who has appeared or has yet to appear on this list. He is a 13-time world champion and is the most recognisable WWE name of the last 15 years other than John Cena.
Orton, one of the few third-generation superstars in this count has had some ups and downs in his career, most of them coming at pretty random times. Orton seems to fall into lulls whenever he feels unmotivated, which is likely what’s keeping him from being our number one on this list.
His acting is great and his segments with Bray Wyatt leading up to WrestleMania were phenomenal. However, while his in-ring work is smooth, it’s also unspectacular. He’s capable of putting on great matches, but when he’s unmotivated and just going through the motions, it can make Orton, particularly a babyface Orton, pretty boring.
Nevertheless, he’s still a staple of WWE and will continue to be for years. His most recent world title reign likely won’t be his last, so the son of “Cowboy” Bob Orton and grandson of Bob Orton Sr won’t have to worry about fading into obscurity anytime soon. Despite dropping the title to Jinder Mahal, he still plays an important role on SmackDown Live.
As one of the biggest Superstars on SmackDown Live, Orton is one of the best second/third-generation superstars not only today but ever.
#2 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is The Rock’s cousin. If that’s news to you, you probably stumbled across this article by accident and are lost, because WWE has driven this point home throughout Reigns’ career.
But what they don’t focus on as much who his father was. Although Vince McMahon did mention it in the months leading up to WrestleMania 32, Roman’s father Sika Anoa’i of the Wild Samoans is not talked about nearly as much as The Rock, despite him being the father and one of the trainers of the Big Dog.
Reigns is likely the most successful member of the Anoa’i family and looks to have an illustrious career ahead of him. Despite many fans’ hatred of him, WWE continues to push Reigns to the moon, and for good reason. He’s one of the most well-rounded Superstars they have.
Reigns is quickly proving that he can put on good matches with anyone. His bouts with Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, and Braun Strowman, in particular, have been some of the best matches of their respective years. And his mic work, though still lacklustre, is far removed from the awful “tater tots” days of yesteryear.
The guy comes from a family of stars and is destined to remain one himself. And if it weren’t for the immediate and prolonged success of the one person above him on our list, he would easily be considered the best second/third-generation superstar in WWE today.
#1 Charlotte
There is an argument to be made regarding whether Reigns or Charlotte should be number one. But Charlotte gets this honour thanks to her talent, her success, and her contributions to the WWE Women’s division as a whole.
The Women’s Revolution became a bit of a joke for a while. Although things were clearly getting better in the Women’s division, WWE started pushing the concept so much that the actual revolution fell short. There was plenty of improvement, but it took longer than WWE would like us to believe.
Despite WWE’s excessive marketing of it, the Women’s Revolution did eventually work, and Charlotte was a big reason why. The matches she put on with the other horsewomen, as well as Nikki Bella were spectacular, and they re-shaped the entire perception of women’s wrestling.
She’s also a four-time Women’s champion, has main-evented a PPV, and is an outstanding wrestler overall. So while Reigns is a three-time world champion and will be a main-eventer for the rest of his career, he is surpassed by Charlotte because of her contributions to the company as a whole.
She helped anchor and change an entire division in the matter of a few months. Ric Flair certainly must be proud of what his daughter has achieved, especially since she still has a long career ahead of her.
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