9 Wrestling Children The WWE Should Consider Hiring (And 7 Who Didn't Make It)
Leah Mitchell Quick Links
Now more than ever before, the WWE is constantly recruiting talent in order to fill up four different shows. Today, talent is needed for Raw, SmackDown, 205 Live and NXT. The company is always looking to add new Superstars whether it be those with experience or athletes coming in from other fields of work.
We have also seen the WWE recruit family members in the past. We’ve seen both sides of the coin; the good and the bad. Charlotte is a prime example of a wrestling child thriving, though more times than not we have seen the other end of the spectrum with children failing to step up to the plate. We feature seven of those stories in this article.
We also take a unique look at wrestling children the company should consider. We’ll feature those that are actively wrestling along with some fantasy entries (take the fantasy entries as us just having some fun). We’ll feature children that aren’t in the business but have the look and genes to join one day if they wanted to. Without further ado, here are nine wrestling children the WWE should consider hiring and seven that failed to make it. Enjoy, folks!
Sign - Dominic Gutierrez (Rey Mysterio)
As of this writing, Rey Mysterio’s son Dominic, is currently undergoing pro wrestling training. Now, signing his son at this point is a stretch given his current youth and inexperience in the ring, however as time moves on and he gains the in-ring psychology, the WWE most certainly should have some interest, especially given all of what his father has accomplished in the business.
In terms of similarities to his dad, the two are actually quite different. Dominic already towers over his father as documented by recent photos of the two together. He’ll bring a different skill-set and surely, one that’s not comparable to his father. However, fans should get excited with the potential of perhaps seeing Rey’s son in a WWE ring one day. For now, let’s just hope his father returns.
Sign - Cody Hall (Scott Hall)
Unlike some others on the list, Cody actually has valuable experience from his time on the indie scene. Although he’s only in his mid 20s, Hall began back in 2012. He’s continued on ever since appearing for promotions like New Japan and his current company, Pro Wrestling Noah.
Cody has the look to thrive in the WWE; seriously speaking, the guy looks like a million bucks blessed with the genetics of his father. He’s got WWE Superstar written all over him. For now, he continues to work on his skill independently and we applaud him for that. We hope the WWE takes note of his progress and we see him in an NXT ring sooner rather than later. Here’s to hoping Cody makes his father proud and claims that IC Championship one day. Wishful thinking? Yes, but what a story that would be!
Didn't Make It - Jake Carter (Vader)
Nope, that dude with Corey Graves and Summer Rae isn’t The Miz but instead, a prospect from back in the day, the son of Vader Jesse White who went by Jake Carter during his WWE days. Carter worked under the FCW banner and was primarily used as a tag team wrestler alongside Corey Graves. The team had the look to thrive but just didn’t have the special quality to stand out in the ring. Carter lost his final match on NXT to Tensai and was released in September of 2013.
Now 31 years of age, it appears as though Jesse gave up on the business following his WWE release. He’s still a big fan of the product however, posting regularly whether it be about anything wrestling related or a throwback photo of his father. White also attended last year’s WrestleMania.
Sign - Brittany Page (DDP)
Some of the entries on this list might be reaching just a little bit given the fact that some like Brittany are completely new to the business, while others (that we’ll discuss later) aren’t even training for pro wrestling but again, it’s all in good fun. DDP’s daughter actually recently started to train with her dad and is looking to break into the business. She also expressed the desire to run a female-only promotion alongside Hulk’s daughter Brooke, who we’ll also discuss a little later for different reasons.
With three legitimate women’s divisions, the WWE is always looking for female talent. If Brittany takes the proper steps following her training, perhaps she’ll catch on the WWE’s radar given her name recognition. DDP has done a lot for the well-being of various wrestlers; it would be a spectacular moment if his daughter got a chance with the company somewhere down the road.
Didn't Make It - Richie Steamboat (Rickie Steamboat)
Perhaps resorting to his actual name, Richard Blood or Rich Blood was a better idea in this case. One can only imagine the unfair expectation poor Richie underwent during his WWE developmental days. Of course, his father was the great Ricky Steamboat and sharing almost the exact same name was only added pressure. Ultimately, Richie was let go due to a nagging back injury; it remains unclear if he left or if the WWE decided to release him. Nonetheless, it didn’t work out and he hasn’t returned since the departure.
The failure was unfortunate, especially due to the fact that he had the look to thrive and not to mention, the family name which some might say was a little too much pressure. In all likelihood, we won’t see the 30 year old in a WWE ring again.
Sign - Tessa Blanchard (Tully Blanchard)
Remember that name. Tessa Blanchard has the look and skills of a future Women’s Champion. Lots of fans are shocked that she isn’t with the WWE yet but we have to take her age into consideration; she’s still only 22! Yup, that’s pretty bonkers.
Tessa has a good relationship with the WWE. Not only is she the daughter of the great Tully Blanchard but she’s also dating new WWE signee Ricochet. Blanchard appeared on NXT programming at various points losing to main roster Superstars Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax and Carmella. She really showed her value and improvement during the Mae Young Classic putting on a match of the tournament candidate in the very first round against the eventual winner Kairi Sane. For now, she’ll continue to earn her stripes with the likes of World Winder Ring Stardom. We’ll see you soon, Tessa.
Didn't Make It - El Hijo de Dos Caras (Dos Caras)
We saw the legendary father of Alberto Del Rio, Dos Caras in his corner for a unification bout against Bobby Lashley, a match Del Rio took home the victory in. A little known fact that North American fans tend to forget is that Alberto actually has a brother who’s also a wrestler and who has also spent some time with the WWE. Under the name of Memo Montenegro, he was signed to NXT back in 2012. He used a mask up until that point but the company requested he take it off. His run was short-lived with some quick defeats to Xavier Woods and Big E - he eventually requested his own release.
He failed to make it with the WWE but he continues on in Mexico. El Hijo rocks a mask during his matches and recently got to work with brother Alberto on the indie scene.
Sign - Noelle Foley (Mick Foley)
We saw during the WWE Network special Holy Foley that the in-ring aspect of pro wrestling might not be for Noelle. She struggled in the ring and failed her tryout. Many expected Noelle to continue on her training, however it looks as though she hasn’t (given her social media posts).
That doesn’t mean the WWE can’t use her in another capacity, though. Noelle has a mammoth following via social media (with nearly one million followers on Instagram). She’s also a sought-after figure during conventions; wrestling fans love her down-to-earth personality, not to mention her fantastic looks (you can find her at the upcoming WrestleCon event signing). Whether it would be as a manager or a backstage interviewer, Noelle signing with the WWE is definitely a big time plus.
Didn't Make It - Raquel Diaz (Eddie Guerrero)
Although we associate Sasha Banks with Eddie nowadays due to her love for the late great wrestler, it was actually Raquel who was briefly living out her father’s legacy with the WWE down in developmental. She served as a model and singer before making the jump.
Once the development rebranded to NXT, things didn’t go as smoothly for Eddie’s daughter. She initially asked for a release only to return, though ultimately she would decide to leave once again due to an apparent eating disorder. She officially left in August of 2014 and would not return. At the very least, her husband Aiden English continues to thrive as the partner/manager of Rusev, one of the hottest acts in the entire company.
Sign - Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga (Meng/Haku)
When most wrestling fans think of the name Meng or Haku, they automatically associate him with out-of-the-ring antics. He was known as the strongest brawler outside of the ring, let’s just say he got the better of a couple of people during his time as a pro wrestler.
Nowadays, he’s watching from the sidelines as a proud papa. His son Tanga Loa, continues to thrive as a tag team wrestler with the team Guerrillas of Destiny. Tama Tonga is the other part of the duo. The team continues to succeed with New Japan as long standing members of The Bullet Club. Take a look at both these wrestlers and they have WWE Superstars written all over them. However aged 34 and 35, it’s best they make the jump sooner rather than later.
Didn't Make It - Lacey Von Erich (Kerry Von Erich)
Lacey had the family name and look to thrive. She caught the eye of the WWE and was signed a decade ago back in 2007. She took part in several matches with FCW, though eventually, she was let go. Perhaps the WWE wanted more experience from the talent and that’s exactly what she did hitting the indie scene and later, signing with Impact Wrestling.
She got a big push with Impact as a member of The Beautiful People, she even won the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles. She was most certainly beautiful, however the wrestling aspect of her career most certainly wasn’t. Ultimately, Von Erich was released by TNA and she quietly left the business altogether. And oh, she was featured on TMZ a couple of years back claiming she does not date wrestlers.
Sign - Xia Brookside (Robbie Brookside)
The name Robbie Brookside might ring a bell, as he’s one of the top trainers at the Performance Center. At 52 years of age, he’s a veteran of the business spending time with both WCW and WWE serving as a lower-tier character. Working as a scout for the WWE overseas, Robbie was eventually brought in to the Performance Center as a trainer, providing the recruits with the level one course.
He’s got a young daughter who’s also aspiring to make it in the business. Still only a teen at the age of 18, Xia continues to work her craft out on the independent scene. She recently posted some emotional photos telling fans to follow their dreams as she recently signed with Stardom winning a prestigious tournament. Without a doubt, we’ll be seeing the young talent in a WWE ring down the road in a couple of years.
Didn't Make It - David Flair (Ric Flair)
You can argue that David Flair was the biggest generational bust of all-time. His dad was a natural in the ring and regarded as the very best ever. The same could not be said for David, though in his defense, he was unjustly put in the ring by WCW despite his lack of experience. Maybe with a formal training regiment, he could have done better.
Perhaps as a solid to Ric, the WWE picked up David’s contract and he was assigned to OVW. The company eventually opted to drop his contract and he stayed in the business taking on lower-tier bookings independently. He eventually left the business for good entering a completely different field. Charlotte is now doing the family legacy proud as one of the top women’s wrestlers in the entire world today.
Sign - Steven Borden (Sting)
We saved the three most unique entries on this list for the very end. Before we begin let’s make it clear, neither of these two are training for pro wrestling and we're only speculating that they would make a great fit based off of their looks alone. It’s like a fantasy type of ordeal so let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.
However, Steven Borden, Sting’s son has the look and genetics to make it in the WWE or pro wrestling. He also looks eerily similar to his father. Like the Stinger, Steven took to football at a young age which helped his physique. He’s also a big fan of weight training posting a couple of workout videos via YouTube. Steven looks gifted athletically and we hope he’s thinking about a future in the business one day.
Didn't Make It – Brooke Hogan (Hulk Hogan)
Similar to Noelle, Brooke became a fan favorite based off of her looks alone. We were first introduced to Brooke during the reality show Hogan Knows Best. She made such an impact that MTV decided to give her a reality show spin-off, Brooke Knows Best. Unfortunately, despite all the fame it would not translate into the world of sports and entertainment.
Starved for known names, TNA inked Brooke Hogan to a deal with the company. She served as an authority type figure and later, as the love interest of Bully Ray. It was all very forgettable and eventually, TNA let go of Brooke. She never returned to the business, however, it was rumored that she planned on starting her own wrestling promotion for females alongside DDP’s daughter.
Sign - Oje Edward Hart (Owen Hart)
Similar to Sting’s son, it doesn’t appear that Oje has any interest in following in the footsteps of his father. However, like Steven, he has the look that might entice the WWE. Not only does he appear to be in tremendous shape but his look appears to be eerily similar to his late father Owen. If Owen’s son does take to wrestling, you can imagine he’ll be training with the best of the best. If he decided to walk in his dad’s footsteps, we have no doubt he’ll be on the WWE’s radar rather quickly. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to see Owen’s legacy continue on with his very own son?
Of course, as we said, it’s only a distant dream at this point and just some fun speculation. We hope you enjoyed this list!
